


Out of the Blue

by GhostClimber



Series: Out of the Blue [1]
Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adventure & Romance, BAMF Lambo, Betrayal, Dying Will Flames (Katekyou Hitman Reborn!), F/M, Family, M/M, Mafia Boss Sawada Tsunayoshi, Multi, Not Beta Read, Push/Pull, Self-Discovery, Unconventional Uses for Dying Will Flames
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-15
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:28:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 33
Words: 107,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25283908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GhostClimber/pseuds/GhostClimber
Summary: Lambo is acting strange.He seems to have performed some weird trick during a battle, but nobody seems to believe.But he was right. With a war incoming, he'll have to deal with more than a problem.
Relationships: Basil/Lussuria (Katekyou Hitman Reborn!), Belphegor/Flan | Fran, Byakuran/Uni | Yuni, Colonnello/Lal Mirch, Dino/Hibari Kyouya, Fon/Mammon | Viper, Gokudera Hayato/Sawada Tsunayoshi, Lambo Bovino/Reborn, Skull (Katekyou Hitman Reborn!)/Original Female Character(s), Superbi Squalo/Xanxus
Series: Out of the Blue [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1982981
Comments: 125
Kudos: 41





	1. When Lightning Strikes

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!  
> Here I am /again/ with a long story, this time.  
> I love my Lambo, and I think his character is some kind of a mystery... He's powerful, he comes out of nowhere and he is obsessed with Reborn.  
> I put all of this, plus a few mad headcanons, in a blender and that's a smoothie for my Stupid Cow (grape flavoured, of course).  
> Hope you like it! Any kudos or comment are very welcome!

The bell rang, interrupting Lambo's unplanned afternoon nap and his nightmare.  
-Reborn! You're back!- Tsuna cheered from the hall. Lambo tried to wake up, he sat straight and cleaned a stream of saliva that probably poured from his mouth while he was sleeping. Embarrassing.  
-Come in the living room, there's Lambo and Gokudera kun!- Tsuna added. In his post-sleep drowsiness and still scared from his dream, Lambo tried to pull himself together; he scratched his chest and tried to fix his dress shirt, at least just enough not to look like someone who has just escaped a tornado.  
-Useless.- Gokudera muttered.  
-Nh?  
-You had to begin like fifteen years ago to make yourself presentable, you Stupid Cow. By now we all say you picking your nose and clean your finger in your hair.  
-BAKADERA!- Lambo protested, while his cheeks went red. He knew he had been a pain in the ass and a quite disgusting child, but there really was no need to...  
-Not to talk about all the times he cleaned his nose on his sleeve after crying like a baby.- said Reborn's voice from the doorstep. Gokudera threw the mystery magazine he was reading on the coffee table and got up to greet him, while Lambo stood sit, staring at the carpet. He listened with half an ear Gokudera's enthusiastic greetings and Reborn's calm answers, trying to forget the last time he had touched the killer.  
He couldn't.  
  
“Come on! Come on, wake up, you Stupid Cow, we need you!” Gokudera's voice, somewhere from outer space. Very, very far.  
“No use for it, Gokudera, we have to retreat, there's no time!” Reborn, this one, closer. Very close, enough to suggest Lambo that the arms lifting him up are his.  
Lambo opens his eyes just enough to focus on the killer's frowned face, then a thud: the sound of an explosion, Reborn's senseless body upon his, his empty and dull eyes.  
“No... NO!” the air gets filled with electricity, while Lightning Flames erupt from Lambo, escaping his control; a rumbling noise, an imprecation from Gokudera, and suddenly it's all over.  
And, by all, meaning just everything.  
Lambo searches for Reborn's heartbeat, but he can't find it.  
“NO!” he repeats, and his hand clutches on the precious cloth of the killer's jacket; the Flames run again, they build a cocoon around Reborn while Lambo feels as if someone was squeezing him, he feels emptied, abandoned by his Flames, he feels freezing. The world seems to catch fire, the sky goes black, the air fills up with the metallic scent of the ozone, like coins left in the sun, then suddenly Reborn's chest shrinks in a broken breath and his eyes are wide open and his body is shaking as if he was being electrocuted.  
Which is exactly what happened.  
How, or why, Lambo doesn't know. His education has been given to Fuuta, who hasn't the slightest idea of how to manage the Lightning Flames, so basically Lambo is a self tutored boy, not even a talented one.  
Reborn's hand closes on Lambo's wrist, and the latter has the privilege and honor to catch the astonished glare of the world's best killer.  
“Let's go away from here.” Lambo decides, lifting up Reborn.  
“Let go of me, I can do it.” the killer protests, then he stumbles.  
“Baka! Since when you're in charge?” Gokudera yells.  
“Gokudera kun! He's right, we must go!” Tsuna, kind Tsuna, the one always ready to calm everyone down. Lambo takes Reborn on his shoulders and his weight is sweet.  
  
-I'll make coffee.- Lambo said, getting up from the couch, -Hi, Reborn.  
-Ciaossu, Lambo.- the killer replied. His voice sounded like the still, dense atmosphere before a storm: when they finally gathered to try to understand what had happened during the fight at the Vindice's ex prison, Lambo had been rudely scorned when he had claimed to have brought Reborn back to life. The mockery had gone on enough to get him to tears, covering him with shame and destroying the strange fantasies Lambo had cradled himself in, hoping that that episode would finally set a good light upon him and make the killer reconsider his person; but he turned out to pass as one who tries to show himself bigger and better than he really is. As usual.  
Then, Reborn had left for Italy.  
The ordeal had left him with painful aftermath: sore muscles, pain in his spine, tremendous migraines. And his Sun Flames couldn't seem to be able to fix it. Dino Cavallone knew a very good medical team and had proposed to have Reborn cured; after many long nights of torment, the killer had accepted.  
Lambo opened a pack of coffee in grains, took a handful of it and started to grind them trying to be as quick as possible: he knew that the killer was going to come and kick him if he didn't have his coffee in a short time, and he really thought he couldn't bear it.

-So the Stupid Cow was telling the truth?- Gokudera asked, astonished.  
-Seems so.- Reborn answered, -My problem was caused by some parts of my body that were decomposing. My Sun Flames were trying to attack them, but they can't do anything with dead meat. The necrotic parts were literally eating me alive.  
-That's gross...- Tsuna murmured, his face pale.  
-It was not a normal necrosis,- Reborn went on, -The doctors have found cadaverin when they made their analysis, and that's something that can only be found in dead bodies.  
-Reborn, that's disgusting, please!- Tsuna protested.  
-Dino spoke with Levi, of the Varia.- the killer went on as if Tsuna hadn't said a word, -He was a Bovino family member before being disowned, and he told him that some of the most powerful Lightnings of the Famiglia are able to kickstart hearts that have stopped beating.  
-That's crazy... and we mocked him...- Gokudera muttered; his green eyes were looking down, full with shame.  
-They work more or less like crash carts, they...- Reborn held out a hand towards the coffee table to take his coffee, but there was no cup. He felt an unusual shock of shame: they were so used to ignore Lambo that even while they were talking about him they cared so little not to notice he still wasn't coming back from the kitchen. More, they had assumed he came and went away: -Did he go to Italy to buy that coffee?- Reborn asked, faking disappointment, -I'll go and see what he's up to.  
  
“He risked his life to save yours, you know?” Levi mutters, standing with his back straight in the military resting pose, a foot from the bed where Reborn is laying.  
“He probably didn't know. Otherwise, he wouldn't have done so.” the killer replies.  
“When you kickstart, your Flames are almost completely sucked up. Believe me, at half process you feel like you're dying.”  
“Why did he do it, then? He wants to kill me since the first time we met.”  
“You should ask him, not me.” Reborn shuts up, cornered by Levi's cold logic. He promises himself to heal as soon as possible, then go back to Japan and ask Lambo for an explanation. And to thank him.  
  
-So, what about that coffee?- Reborn asked, entering the kitchen. Lambo jumped and a cloud of coffee powder that smelled like heaven puffed in front of him.  
-I'm sorry... I...  
-You have no idea of how to prepare a decent moka, don't you?- Reborn asked, then he blamed himself: even knowing he owed his life to Lambo, here he was mocking him as soon as he opened his mouth. Lambo didn't reply; he bowed his head and went on putting the grind coffee in the moka's filter with a shaking hand.  
Reborn opened his mouth to speak, then realized he was looking at Lambo's muscles, barely hidden by his cow-printed dress shirt. He felt a sting of danger and went back to the living room without speaking.

-Levi said he can teach Lambo how to manage the Lightning Flames. He said that...- Reborn stopped. He was keeping an eye on the kitchen door, willing to show some kindness towards Lambo, so he managed to see him getting in, holding a plate with a small glass of water and a cup from which a heavenly smell was spreading: -Oh. Thank you, Lambo.  
-You're welcome.- he answered, and Reborn frowned noticing he was blushing. That boy was acting really weird.  
Gokudera wasn't as gentle: -So, we're sending him to Italy? For how long?  
-Who?- Lambo asked, putting the cup and the glass in front of Reborn, who unbuttoned his jacket not to wrinkle it and leaned forward.  
-You.- the killer answered, -Yes, that's the idea, since Levi can't conceive leaving Xanxus' side for more than ten minutes. I don't know how long, it depends.  
-You... you're sending me away?- Lambo asked.  
-Ah...- Tsuna said, -Don't... don't put it that way, it seems bad. We finally found someone that can teach you how to...  
-YOU'RE SENDING ME AWAY?!  
-Lambo, don't start whining.- Gokudera said. Lambo looked at him, sitting there relaxed, with both hands on the couch's back, not a problem in the world because he wasn't going to be sent away from the person he loved.  
-Ga... ma... n...- Lambo blabbered, then he failed as usual. Tears flew uncontrolled from his eyes, while his chest shrunk in a lethal grip. Reborn huffed and Lambo realized he couldn't stand any other tiny bit of humiliation: he let the plate fall and ran away, far from that house where, he realized, he was not welcome. And never had been.

-That was not very kind of you, Gokudera.- Reborn said, taking his espresso cup. It took him all his self control to stop his hand from trembling; suddenly, he didn't give a damn about coffee, he only wanted to chase Lambo, stop him, explain that... well, explain something. Hug him, maybe, hug him and savor once again that warmth, that sense of soundness his body had given him.  
“Shit.” he thought.  
-It's him the one who's acting strange, lately... he doesn't do anything but listening to shitty music and wandering the place sighing.  
-Does he?- Reborn asked, then he drank a sip of coffee. The taste enveloped his tastebuds in a wondrous cocoon, so much that he barely heard Tsuna say: -Oh, that just doesn't remind me of anybody!  
-What do you mean?- Gokudera asked.  
-I remember someone listening to Del Amitri so much that Ryohei broke into your room and threw the CD outside the window.- Reborn didn't interrupt, even if he could painfully recall the period after Gokudera had realized he was in love with Tsuna and before he found out that Tsuna loved him back: the coffee he was drinking was for sure the best he had ever drank in his whole life. And he had lived in Naples.  
-Ach! Tsuna, that's different, I was in love!- Gokudera protested.  
-And Lambo couldn't...  
-Mother of God, this coffee is divine.- Reborn muttered, shutting the two of them, who turned around to look at him. Reborn tried to minimize: -What... uhm... what bland is it?  
-Uhm... the usual one, I guess?- Tsuna said, then got up in a nervous jump and went to the kitchen; he came back holding a huge pack of coffee grains and added: -No, it's not. And I honestly have no idea where this comes from, I never saw it.- Gokudera shrugged.  
-What were you saying?- he asked, ignoring the coffee matter. Almost disowning his Italian origins, he was more the kind of man to drink a barrel of instant coffee, so he barely cared about the moka blend.  
-I was saying... wait, what was I saying?- Tsuna asked himself. Reborn took the pack of coffee and first of all he realized that the reason it was taking Lambo so long was that he was grinding the grains on the spot. Then he saw the Bovino's logo behind the pack and felt somehow honored because the boy was using his personal stack to prepare his coffee.  
-Oh, yeah!- Tsuna said, putting a stop to Reborn's thoughts, -I was saying that Lambo could be in love, too!  
-Oh, shit, I hope not. He's already a pain in the ass in normal situations, if he...  
-Lambo doesn't drink coffee.- Reborn said abruptly.  
-No, you're the only one who drinks that thing.- Tsuna replied, a bit lost for the sudden changes of subject. Reborn looked at the pack again and asked: -But if he doesn't drink coffee, why does the Bovino Family sent him a pack of Arabic blend? Besides, one of the most expensive.  
-Because, as I was saying...- Tsuna said, in a condescending tone, -Lambo is in love.- Gokudera and Reborn looked at him, puzzled, and Tsuna huffed.  
-Reborn. Finish that damn coffee and go look for him.- Tsuna said, and Reborn's eyes widened: it was the first time ever Tsuna talked to him that way.  
-You hyper intuition...- he whispered. Tsuna raised an eyebrow and didn't reply. Reborn put the pack on the coffee table and stormed out, without even finishing his drink.

Two hours later, finally, he found Lambo hiding in the ruins of an old structure that maybe once upon a time was a playhouse for children. He was still crying, but in silence, his eyes staring into the void in front of him and tears rolling down his cheeks, the regular and slow breath of someone who has already thrown himself away.  
-Lambo.- he called softly.  
-Go away.- the other answered in a low voice.  
-No. Make room.- Reborn replied, then he squeezed himself in the playhouse, pushing him with his hip to force him to move.  
-You'll litter your trousers.- Lambo said, incoherently.  
-They're the one I wear to travel, not the good ones.- Reborn answered, just as incoherently.  
-Oh, yeah. Armani, common stuff.  
-Lambo, we don't want to send you away.- Reborn declared, trying to find a comfortable position with his knees pierced in his chest. For a horrible moment he thought he was going to laugh: he had recalled an old gag by a trio of Italian comedians, where one of them was complaining about having his knees in his throat and another one told him “that's not my fault if you don't have torso and ass”.  
-Yeah, right.  
-Listen.- Reborn tried in vain to put a hand on his arm, but that damn playhouse was a hole that even a very slim rabbit would have refused. He managed to put an arm around his shoulders and felt him shiver. He went on: -We don't want to. But while I was at Cavallone's mansion we found out that you were right, you really kickstarted my heart. And this means that your Flames are incredibly powerful. You must be trained to use them, or you could lose control over them.  
-What would happen?- Lambo asked. Reborn hesitated, then said: -You could die.- Lambo remained quiet for a while. Then, he whispered: -Let it be.  
-Lambo, what the hell are you saying?- Reborn yelled.  
-It'll be better for all of you. I'm useless, I'm just a weight, for you, for Tsuna, for everyone. You'll be better if I'm dead.  
-Stop it, you idiot!- Reborn commanded. Lambo's shoulders went up, then down, under his arms, in a mute “as you wish”. Reborn sighed: -Listen. Yes, it's true, as a child you were a thorn in our sides. But if you haven't been able to shine it's our fault, we misbehaved... at four years old you were able to open your Box Heiki with no training at all, only with your determination. This should have told us enough about your strenght, but we merely gave you the bare minimum of education and that's all.- Reborn stopped, but Lambo didn't seem to be willing to reply. The killer had the strange, strong temptation of holding him, allowing him to cry as long as he wanted against his chest and make him feel loved; after having examined his feeling, then, he felt almost overwhelmed by the urge to run away. He couldn't, not him, not the ruthless, cold-blooded killer of the Vongola Famiglia, not the strongest among the Arcobaleno, it wasn't him, it couldn't be him. He couldn't be the one to have fallen in love with the most catastrophic human being of the whole world, the most irritating member of the Mafia.  
-Can I ask you something, Lambo?- he asked. He wanted, he had to know.  
-Shoot.- Reborn hesitated, asked himself what was possessing him, then he acted: he took out his gun and pointed it against Lambo's jaw.  
-The hell are you doing, baka?!  
-You told me to shoot.- Reborn said. Lambo glared at him, and his eyes were the reflections of pines in the still water of a mountain lake; Reborn wavered, then Lambo laughed.  
-Baka! You're stuck on stupid!  
-I wanted to see you laugh.- Reborn confessed, putting away his gun. He allowed himself a tiny smile for the good end of his mission, then he got serious again: -Anyway. Levi told me that what you've done is extremely painful. Why didn't you leave me there?- the smile faded on Lambo's face, and he looked at his own knees again. Reborn waited patiently for an answer. After what felt like hours, Lambo eventually whispered: -Because I love you.- Reborn felt his cheek getting hot, and once again his running instinct came back.  
Yes, to run away and try to somehow forget that chaotic, gorgeous boy: he had had many relationships, but none of them involved particular feelings. He only liked the possibility to wave a hand and have a body that was ready to use, to feel the power of being able to completely control another human being. But he was sure that this time it was more complicated.  
Maybe encouraged by the lack of a disgusted reaction, Lambo went on: -When we were little... during the Arcobalenos' trials. When it seemed like Verde had you all blow up. I saw your ripped hat falling and... and I felt something. I felt like it was my own heart, the one falling. I was so shocked that I didn't even know where to start to avenge you. And then, little by little, I understood.- Reborn opened his mouth, but no words left it. His arm was still around Lambo's shoulders, which now were trembling like leaves shaken by a furious wind.  
-But don't worry. I won't do anything. I can see by myself I'm not worthy of you, I would never be, not in a million years.  
-Hey, weren't you the one who wanted to conquer the world?- Reborn asked, bursting out his thoughts before thinking about it.  
-I was. I wish you never have a dream. When you find out it's impossible, it hurts like hell.  
-For God's sake, Lambo...- Reborn began, without knowing what he was going to say, but Lambo interrupted him: -I'll go to Italy. I'll train with Levi as long as I need it. And then I'll come back here and I'll try to be worthy of my role. Would be about time.- Lambo lifted one hand, with fatigue for the lack of space, and wiped his cheeks as he could, snorting, then looked at Reborn and tried to put on a smile: -Thank you for not going away.  
-You still are stupid.- Reborn answered, then he took his silken clutch out of his jacket's pocket and used it to gently pat Lambo's eyes, already puffed and reddened, circled by dark, deep shadows.  
A tear billowed on Lambo's left eyelid, then it passed over it and broke against Reborn's clutch, darkening it and wetting the killer's fingers. He felt a jump in his chest and for the first time in his life he felt like a failure: he wanted to console him, and he was only managing to make him feel worse. He saw him lean back and refuse his goofy caress: -Go away, Reborn, you're hurting me.- Lambo said in a dull tone, then he pushed him away with shaking hands. Reborn, already unsteady on the doorstep of the playhouse, fell outside.  
-What if I don't want to?- he asked, combative, fixing his fedora.  
-Then shoot me and put an end to this!- Lambo answered. A bolt of electricity walked on his skin, and Reborn felt his hairs stiffening for the static; he understood that Lambo was on the verge of losing control of his Flames, as it usually happened when he was desperate.  
-What if I don't want to do this, either?- Reborn replied, then he leaned forward. Walking on all his fours he went over Lambo, and a shiver in his lower belly welcomed the brushing of his muscular thigh between his. He ignored it, as he ignored the shock he got when his lips touched Lambo's. He imposed himself firmly but carefully, as he was conducting an important mission, and opened Lambo's lips with his tongue.  
He felt him shake and answer the kiss, hesitating at first, then more and more sure, fierce, almost voracious, and for once he let the feelings guide him; when Lambo's hands gently caressed his waist he pressed himself against him, pushing forward as he wanted a deeper contact. He circled his neck with his arms and shoved a hand beneath his locks, finding there a warm, comfortable nest.  
Then, a sudden crack; Reborn moved away and hit his head on the playhouse's roof, his hand to his gun. Lambo was surrounded by green Flames and electric bolts. The noise had come from a wooden knot exploding, expanded by the heat caused by Lambo.  
-Go out, Reborn. Now.- Lambo said, and for once the killer didn't dare to differ. Lambo squeezed himself in the playhouse, got on his knees and slammed his hands on the floor, then he took a deep breath and released his Flames; the playhouse exploded with a wooden crack and Reborn lifted an arm to protect his face from the sharp splinters.  
-The wood is a natural insulator- Lambo said. He was short of breath and pale.  
-Nice move.- Reborn said, then he swallowed. He got up and gave a hand to Lambo to help him get back on his feet. When they were face to face he said: -You'll go to Italy. Listen carefully to Levi, he's an expert. If something's wrong, tell Lussuria: he's a strange dude, but he is good at listening, he's not an arrogant prick like the others. But don't you ever get into his room, trust me. We'll talk about this all when you'll be able to control your Flames.  
-Will you... will you wait for me?  
-I'll wait for you. And now, let's go home before Tsuna sends a research squad behind us.- Reborn hesitated, then he caressed Lambo's cheek with the back of a hand. He smiled, and a tiny shock of static cracked.  
-I adore them, you know? Those dimples.- Reborn said, then he turned around and headed home.


	2. Into The Black

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lambo meets Fran.  
> They arrive together at Varia mansion, with some new troubles waiting to happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the kudos!  
> Hope you'll like this chapter as well, if you want feel free to leave a comment!
> 
> Liguistic notes, because I kept a few Italian words since we landed in my country:  
> CIAO: a generic, unformal greeting.  
> BUONASERA: a formal greeting, used in the evening.
> 
> XOXO

-...and try not to be a crybaby, you're not home, you're in a cave filled with psychopaths and who knows what the hell they could...- Lambo cut off Gokudera's voice pressing play on his iPod. Bon Jovi started to sing “One Step Closer” and Lambo instantly felt better. First of all, Bon Jovi had a hell of a voice. Second, he was one hell of a hottie. Third, and most importantly, he was fed up with the mommish recommendations that came from Gokudera. Tsuna had claimed himself sure that his man was acting like this because he cared and didn't know how to show it, but Lambo had never seen him treating Tsuna like an idiot; and it had to be said, sometimes Tsuna really acted like an idiot.  
-ARE YOU LISTENING OR NOT?!- Gokudera yelled, with so much emphasis that the car he was driving to the airport swerved. Lambo took off his earbuds.  
-Hayato kun, keep calm!- Tsuna called him out.  
-Oh, yeah, naturally, my love.- Gokudera said back, and Lambo rolled his eyes.  
-Listen, write down a list and send it to me via email, I swear I'm able to learn.- he said. Gokudera threw him a glare of fire from the rear view mirror, but Lambo didn't react: he was under the effect of powerful calming pills, for order of Reborn, who was worried he could lose control of his Flames due to the stress for the upcoming trip.  
-Come on, Hayato kun, Lambo is not an idiot.  
-Tsk!  
-Not completely, at least,- Lambo intervened, still cuddled in a peaceful cloud of chemical calm, -I can count at least to ten, tie up my shoes and also make two things at the same time, like walking and talking altogether.- Tsuna giggled.  
-Did you take everything?- he asked, then, for the umpteenth time.  
-Yes, mom. Underpants, clean socks, trousers and t-shirts, two sweatshirts and two pyjamas, toothbrush and toothpaste, a sweater “because it could be cold at night”, some books, the iPod, the laptop and the chargers.  
-Good boy.- Tsuna complimented, like the last million of times. He looked more nervous than Lambo, but he had to admit that his nii-chan wasn't taking any Xanax.  
Finally, Gokudera took the exit towards the airport, left Tsuna and Lambo in front of the doors and went to look for a parking. Tsuna put his hands on Lambo's shoulders and asked: -Seriously, now. Are you sure you can do it?  
-No.- Lambo confessed, -But if I don't try...- he hesitated before saying his beloved one's name, -Reborn said I might die. And take you all with me.  
-Yeah.- Tsuna replied, thoughtful, -Listen. Anyway, I'll call you often, and if something's wrong I want you to tell me. I'll be the one to reframe Xanxus' ass, then.  
-I was expecting this from Gokudera shi, not from you.  
-He was the one who said that, in fact, I just stole his line because you well know he isn't going to say it to your face. And it sounded cool, anyway.  
-It sure does.- Tsuna smiled and Lambo couldn't help to bow his lips up just a bit. Then, Tsuna let go if him and said: -Mukuro should be here soon with Fra...  
-Kufufu.- a voice said from behind him, and Tsuna jumped a solid foot up.  
-HIYAH! Mukuro, for Heaven's sake!- he protested.  
-Oya oya, always easy to scare, Sawada Tsunayoshi.- from behind his back, an androgyny yet beautiful boy took out a head of horribly green hair.  
-Lambo, this is Fran. Fran, Lambo.- Mukuro introduced the two. The boys bowed at each other and didn't say a word; Tsuna had the strong sensation that, if Lambo was three feet shorter, he would have hid behind his leg. His embarrassment came in waves.  
The four of them went to the gate for the check-in, with Tsuna and Mukuro trying to build some kind of conversation, while Lambo and Fran just stood there, silenced and embarrassed.  
-Holy shit, I parked like a hundred miles from here!- Gokudera blurt, joining them in line fifteen minutes later. Lambo shyly looked around, barely raising his head, hopelessly hoping to catch a glimpse of Reborn's familiar silhouette: but he honestly doubted that the killer would go to the airport to say goodbye. After that only kiss followed by that almost murder risk, they hadn't talk to each other anymore, and after a week Lambo had concluded that the other was avoiding him on purpose. He probably regretted the intercourse but didn't want to say it loud, because it would have been bad for Lambo's determination.  
He listened with half an ear to Gokudera's whining about parking while he put the luggage on the scale and received its approval. He put his ticket in the freshly stamped passport and moved to one side while Fran's luggage was weighted as well. Tsuna got in front of him and said: -Call me when you're there. I don't care if it's in the middle of the night, just call me, I want to know you arrived and that everything's ok. Deal?  
-Deal.- Lambo replied, then he shortly hugged him; Tsuna stepped aside and glanced towards Gokudera, who stepped closer and started to look at a lamp on the ceiling: -Behave. If someone bothers you, call me so I can kill them.  
-Gokudera shi...- Lambo huffed, moved, then he threw himself forward. Gokudera held him tight, beating his fists against his back, then he whispered in his ear: -We'll miss you, Aho Ushi. Don't be a stranger or I'll come and get you.- he moved back. His eyes were a little too shiny, but he was careful to look away.  
-So, well then...- Lambo went, seeing that Fran had passed the check in exam, -Goodbye. Say bye to... everyone.- suddenly, Lambo found himself hoping for a brief parting, maybe an intervention of the lady at the check in desk telling them to move over. He would have wanted to tell Tsuna to say goodbye to Reborn, but for what? If he did want his farewell, the killer would have gotten to the airport himself.  
An elbow hit Lambo's, who turned around and saw that dude Fran, looking at him with inscrutable eyes: -Over there.- the illusionist said, pointing a finger towards the crowd.  
Lambo looked that way, skeptical: he was expecting a joke, he was always a victim of jokes. But what he saw was a tall, slender silhouette, sensually leaned against a pillar, and his heart jumped. He lifted up a trembling hand and waved it, unbelievingly; as a response, Reborn put a finger to the to the brim of his fedora hat, moved it in a slight gesture of salute; then he turned around and disappeared.  
Put away the last embraces, the last recommendations (“Don't eat candies before bedtime, you don't sleep when you do it!”) and one last laugh from Mukuro, Lambo went towards the embarking gate, side by side with Fran.  
-How did you know?- he asked, after a long hesitation.  
-I'm an illusionist. And you're totally not good at masking your thoughts.- Fran answered in an emotionless voice. Silence fell and Lambo kept asking himself what the hell did Reborn's presence at the airport meant; they boarded the plane and they sat in the middle row. After a while, Fran spoke: -They gave you a lot of useless advice.  
-What?  
-The only rules that apply there are: never eat anything that's not cooked by Lussuria, don't trust Belphegor when he says “Come here, I won't hurt you” and never ever ever ever enter Xanxus's office if you hear screams coming from there. Never. Ever.  
-Why that?- Lambo asked, curious.  
-Because he and Squalo senpai do dirty things, but no one knows. In theory, at least. But if you hint something about it, Xanxus starts shooting, Squalo screams and takes out his sword... they make a real mess. You better avoid it.  
-Got it.- Lambo said with a tiny smile. He just didn't want to unravel the homicidal fury of those two.  
Two stewards showed the procedures to follow in case of emergency, and the two of them silenced, pretending to listen. Once the speech was over, the belt signals went on and the plane's engines gained power. With a strange yet not completely unpleasant sensation at Lambo's belly, the plane left the ground. A few moments later, the belt signal went off and Lambo unbuckled his with a sigh of relief.  
-Are you and Reborn together?- Fran asked out of the blue.  
-Doubt that. We kissed, that's all.  
-But you like him, don't you?  
-Yeah. Guess I'm an idiot.- Fran shrugged at these words: -What about me, then? I like Belphegor.- he replied. Lambo looked at him and caught a glimpse of sadness in his eyes; the illusionist, however, was fast to hide it.  
-What about him?  
-Who knows. He's really good at hiding his mind, you know. We had sex a few times, but not a nice word, no engagement. Not that I was expecting it. That's why I like staying at Mukuro's, there's no such thing there. He trains me, Chrome cuddles me, the other two mock me and then we fight.- Lambo lulled himself at the sound of Fran's chatters. It was good not having to explain, not having to speak, and the boy seemed to be sincerely interesting in building a relationship, which was a complete novelty. The only person he truly considered to be his friend was I-Pin, and she had the strong tendency to kick the hell out of him everytime he acted silly, which he almost felt obliged to do since he was already the Family's clown; just chatting easily would have been a nice change. Suddenly, hearing Mukuro's name, he remembered the Vindice's ex prison and the fight they had there.  
-Everything's ok?- Fran asked.  
-Oh... yeah, I'm sorry. I was just thinking... have you been bothered anymore?- he asked.  
-Nope. Once we understood that they were still after Mukuro, we raised some pretty good defences. Just with a half dozen Mists and knowing we are there they could break them.  
-Good. We have time to organize.- Lambo leaned back on the seat.  
-Can I ask you something?- for a moment, Lambo recalled when Reborn had asked him the same question, and the things that had followed. He smiled and said: -Tell me.  
-Why are you helping us? Mukuro has said many times he doesn't want to joint the mafia and, I assure you, he says that for real.  
-I know, but Tsuna doesn't care about it. To him, Mukuro and Chrome are friends, no matter the mafia. He couldn't bear something happening to them because he chickened out.  
-What do you think they want to do to shishou?- Fran asked in a whisper.  
-Dunno. I think Reborn has got a quite clear idea about it, but nobody told me anything. And I don't dare to think about it.- Lambo answered, bitterly. Clearly, courage wasn't his strongest feature. He told himself he should have asked a few more question, but he had just gone along without knowing what they were going to face. Sometimes he felt like he was still four years old, a crying cow-printed bag that the others were forced to carry around and that once in a lifetime can be expected to do something good.  
Fran kept silent, worried for his master and busy thinking about the idea of friendship brought by Sawada Tsunayoshi. He suddenly realized he had grown up in a very peculiar way: he divided his existence between a luscious manor filled with psychopath killers and a hole in the ground with a strange couple of mum and dad and two almost useless idiots. He had never had a friend, someone to be with just for the pleasure of it and who also appreciated the idea of walking side by side with him, with no obligations: he had missed it, but in quite an academic way. After all, you can't miss something you didn't really experienced.  
-Lambo?- he called, redeeming him from a stream of thoughts, one more terrible than the one before, about what the Estraneo could do if they had managed to put their dirty hands over Mukuro.  
-Mh? Yeah?  
-Are we friends?- Fran asked. His question had a strange note, it almost sounded like a request for indications than an actual request, and Lambo shuddered.  
-I don't know,- he answered, -Not yet, I think, it usually takes time. But we can be, I guess, you're nice and didn't mock me yet.  
-You're nice and didn't mock me yet, too.- Fran replied. Their gazes met and got a hold on each other's, and after a while Lambo asked: -What kind of dysfunks are we?- Fran laughed.

An eternity later, the plane touched the Italian ground at Fiumicino. Lambo jumped on his feet as soon as the belt signal went off, and Fran got up soon after.  
-Oh, my legs!- Lambo complained.  
-Prepare yourself, we still have an hour by car before arriving.- Fran informed him. Lambo moaned something, exasperated.  
-And you go through this hell how many times a year?  
-Every few months, more or less, it depends from what they need me to do here.- Fran answered, and together they slowly slouched towards the exit, -But a lot of times they bring me back to Japan with the jet, it's much more comfortable and fast.  
-They have a jet?! Do you think they will make me try it?  
-If you're lucky, maybe we can come back by it, slammed in a couch, with the bar and the tv. Hey, do you like tv series?  
-If I do?! They're my drug of choice, among with Disney movies!  
-Swear it!- Fran's eyes had enlightened, -So in our free time we can live in the tv room!  
-I couldn't ask for more!- a limousine with a driver was waiting at one side of the track, and Fran walked towards it with a sure pace.  
-Hey, what about our luggage?- asked Lambo, following him.  
-Don't wo...  
-VOOOIII! Did you bring the whole house?- a voice yelled from behind them, and Lambo jumped; Fran, on the contrary, didn't miss a beat: -Ciao, Squalo senpai.  
-Ehm... go... go... good evening...- Lambo stuttered, trying to hide his expression of terror and the whole bunch of images about what that guy and Xanxus could do in the latter's office.  
-You must be Lambo. You're grown up since last time I saw you.- he said, then shook his hand while the driver took care of the luggage.  
-Last time you were as short as this.- Fran mocked him.  
-VOI! Don't start, brat. Come on, on the car!- Squalo commanded. The driver opened the car door and Fran politely greeted him: -Buonasera, Nicola.  
-Buonasera, Fran. Buonasera, Lambo.  
-Ah... good evening?- Lambo answered, stunned by such manners, then Squalo pushed his head down and shoved him in.  
The limo was enormous. Lambo and Fran sat sprawled on one seat, Squalo elegantly sat on the other and asked: -So, how are things in Japan?  
-Everything calm.- Fran answered, -We put up excellent defences, they should do until we put together a plan.  
-Does Reborn have any idea?- Squalo asked Lambo.  
-Uhm... I guess so, but... well, it's not like they tell me everything.- a glimpse enlightened Squalo's glance for a second, but the man did not comment. He only said: -When you call home, tell Sawada to send us a complete report on their intentions. I won't be satisfied with a simple “we have to fix this thing”.  
-I will.- Lambo promised, then Squalo opened a magazine and stopped talking. Lambo sighed in relief and leaned against the back of the seat.  
Fran's hand perched on his and the illusionist said: -Everything is gonna be alright. Remember: no food that's not made by Lussuria, don't trust Belphegor, don't enter Xanxus' office when he's in there with Squalo.- the swordsman's magazine hit him on the head and the car filled with his indignant “VOOOIII!”.  
-See? Told you.- Fran muttered, and Lambo giggled.

The arrival was frantic, but Fran did his best to make it as calm as possible, stopping Lussuria's cooing and stopping Belphegor from testing what the prince had already called his “new dartboard”.  
An hour later, Lambo was fixed in a big, comfortable room which was facing towards an oak wood and he was ready to call Tsuna. The phone rang, at the other side of the world, and after one click only there was an answer: -Lambo! Have you arrived? Everything ok? The trip? How are they treating you? Did you eat? Did you unpack? Did you charge your phone?  
-Tsuna nii, calm down! Everything's ok, they gave me a nice room and I befriended Fran, I'll unpack after dinner, I just wanted to call and tell you I had arrived safe and sound.  
-Is he alright?- Gokudera's voice asked in the distance.  
-Yes, he is alright.- Tsuna answered calmly.  
-Squalo wants a report about that thing.- Lambo said, a bit embarrassed by his goofy tentative to talk in a code. He had some knowledge of spy movies and he knew that phone calls could be intercepted: he supposed that the Varia were smart enough to detect such intrusions, but as Gokudera often told him, one knows where suppositories go.  
-Ah! Alright, tomorrow I'll write something with Reborn.- suddenly, Lambo felt all the weight of the travel and what had made it necessary. He moved away from the window, from where he was enjoying the landscape, and sat on the bed. Just hearing Tsuna's familiar voice saying Reborn's name was causing him a huge wave of home sickness.  
-Alright. I'm going, now, Tsuna nii, I want to take a shower before eating. We keep in touch.- Lambo cut Tsuna's mommish farewells, threw the phone on the bed and fell on his back.  
Someone knocked at the glass door of the balcony. Lambo looked up and saw Fran, perched on the sill; he opened the door and the illusionist jumped in: -My room is right next door. Nice landscape, isn't it?  
-Really. Listen, the restroom...?- Lambo asked, and Fran opened a half secluded door. -Wow! Is that all for me?  
-Yes. Believe me, it's for the better. Did you hear from home?  
-Yes. I already want to come back.- Lambo confessed, then he burst into tears. Fran got closer and hugged him: -Here, here...- he said.  
Lambo nodded in his arms, but couldn't manage to put two words together. He was tired and lost and tired of feeling lost. After a while, Lambo put an end to their embrace and took his face in his hands. He looked him right in the eyes and said: -Everything is gonna be alright. Be strong, ok?  
-Ok. Lambo answered, tentatively, and Fran leaned his forehead against his.  
The illusionist was a few centimetres shorter, but he was wearing a huge frog-shaped hat; so, even if he was turned towards the glass door, Lambo didn't see the dangerous-looking blond who was spying them from the balcony.


	3. Spark in the Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lambo starts his training and he is revealed some things.  
> Levi searches for informations.  
> Belphegor is even more evil than usual.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again for kudos and comment!  
> Please tell me if this chapter is good as well!  
> XOXO

-Did you sleep well, kiddo?- Levi asked with a gruff voice at the breakfast table. Lambo stared at him with the awake, lively glance of a well seasoned zombie and answered with a non-compromising grunt.  
-I know, jet lag is hell.- Levi answered, nodding. With his mouth full of cereal, he said: -I would like to start today, if it's alright with you.  
-VOI! Levi, when did you become human?- Squalo asked, then snapped a croissant.  
-The fuck you mean?  
-Ah, here you are again.  
-Listen, shit, the Boss himself told me to be kind with the brat.- Lambo let his head fall on the table: it felt really heavy. Fran elbowed him and asked: -Are you sure you don't want any coffee? Maybe it could wake you up.  
-Rbgdrkcfee.- Lambo answered. Fran understood he meant “Reborn drinks coffee” and put a cup of it in front of him: -Don't get sentimental and drink. If you don't, Levi's gonna make ashes out of you and we'll have to bring you back home in a jam jar and do you know how much paperwo...  
-DO YOU MIND SHUTTING THAT HOLE?!- Belphegor yelled, -Too many words before ten o'clock.- he ended his speech with a knife throwing; some hit Fran's hat, others recoiled against Lambo.  
-Cuoio Bovino.- Levi explained, spitting out cerealous milk.  
-VOI! Could you please swallow before you speak?  
-I bet the Boss tells you this a lot of times.  
-VOOOOOIIIII!!!  
-Is breakfast always like this?- Lambo asked with a tiny rough voice.  
-Yep.- Fran answered, then took one of Belphegor's knives out of his hat, cleaned it with a napkin and used it to spread jam on his toast. Lambo leaned on his elbows and turned over evidence: he had to somehow get started, and the only other choice aside from coffee was cocaine, which probably was much more unhealthy and much more illegal.  
He took the cup and drank a sip, then frowned; his sight slightly fogged by the steam, he noticed that Levi was looking at him in quite a peculiar way: -What's up?  
-Talk about it later.- he grudged.

An hour later, with the help of a cold shower, the coffee and a generous dose of bread and Nutella, Lambo was ready to begin his training with Levi. He followed the man along a maze of corridors until they reached a room at one end of the eastern wing: -This room is completely isolated,- the man explained, -Coated with wood and rubber, equipped with a lightning rod to absorb the excess energy. That's the only metal object, and it is connected to a generator. Any excess of electricity will only result in a save on the next bill.  
-Cool...- Lambo let out, seriously admired.  
-You don't have a room like this in Namimori?- Levi asked. Lambo shrugged: -Why that? I've never got a training in my life.  
-You're telling me you're going off-book?- Lambo nodded. Levi got closer and towered over him, punt a hand on his forehead and said: -Please, concentrate your Flames here.  
-Ehm... I'll try.- Lambo tried to do what he was told, and after a short while Levi hurriedly commanded: -Alright, enough! Holy shit...  
-What's up with that?- Levi hesitated for a long time, then he said: -Sit down, boy.  
-Am I... Am I this bad?- Lambo asked, sitting on the floor. Levi looked at him, flabbergasted: -No, on the contrary. Your Flames are of an extraordinary purity, and very powerful. Moreover, I see that you already have some electricity flowing through you.  
-Well, I suppose so. Lightning, electricity... isn't that normal?- Levi sighed.  
-Didn't they tell you anything at all?- Lambo shook his head.  
-Lightning Flames use electricity, but they cannot create it. Besides, keeping electricity in your body could be hazardous, it could damage muscles and brain...  
-Well, that would explain a lot of stuff...  
-...but you don't seem to be affected. Give me your arm.- Lambo did so. Levi grabbed his wrist and turned his head with the palm on the upper side, and brushed the skin of his forearm with his fingers: -That's incredible...- he murmured, -It seems like you can keep it right under your skin.  
-But HOW?! I mean, I don't know how this works, I'm doing it but I don't know I'm doing it, what if it escapes and fries my brain? What if it... dunno, burns me from the inside? What if... oh, shit, go away!- from Lambo's skin, some locks of green Flames had started to raise. Levi got up and stepped back, but kept calm: -Don't worry, Lambo. We'll work on it. You're not at your breaking point, you're stable, you can handle it. Remember before, when you concentrated your Flames on your forehead?  
-I... yes.  
-Do it again, but this time send them through the palm of your hands.- Lambo relaxed a tiny bit: that was one thing he was able to do. The last time had been when Reborn...  
-Keep! Calm!- Levi commanded, -Don't get distracted, just think at your Flames!- the greenish aura surrounding Lambo slowly started to gather around his forearms. It slightly fizzed. Levi was astonished: the electricity he had felt under Lambo's skin was in a scarce quantity, maybe just enough to light up a light-bulb for a dozen minutes, but now that Lambo was catalysing it it seemed to grow endlessly, almost as if it was reproducing. He looked at his face and saw, with horror, that he was about to burst into tears. That was dangerous, because salt water can conduct electricity: he could get himself scarred for life in his face. He cried out: -Don't cry now, for fuck's sake!  
-Ga...- Lambo muttered, -Ma...- a tear appeared on his lower eyelid and Levi, fast, took a parabola out of its sheath: -Here! NOW!- Lambo lifted his hands, and the excess Flames, carried by the electricity, merged on the tip of the parabola. Levi absorbed them, then closed it.  
With a thud, Lambo fell on the ground. Levi threw the parabola aside and kneeled next to him; the boy was cuddled on himself, crying, with his hands clutched to his chest. He seemed exhausted. Levi moved a lock of hair from his forehead, revealing a burn on his cheek, where the tear had fallen. He would have kept it for all his life: -It's alright. As a first time, it's good enough.- he encouraged him, and he was sincere. That boy had managed to handle, even if only for a while, his uncontrolled Flames and an electric shock that would have killed everyone else on the spot.  
-Let me see those hands, did you get hurt?- Levi asked, then delicately took him by his wrists: the palm of his hands were almost carbonized. -Shit. Don't look, boy.- Levi got up, ran to the intercom that had been put in the corridor and called Lussuria. Lambo mercifully waved out of consciousness.

When he woke up, he was in a bed of the infirmary, both his hands were wrapped and Levi was talking in a low voice with Lussuria.  
-The skin on the palm of his hands is not made of cowhide.- Lussuria whispered, -On the contrary, it's very thin. I'm surprised this is the first time he gets hurt.  
-It's probably for the better: it kept a way out for the Flames. If the skin there was as hard as in the rest of his body, he would probably be dead by now.  
-I think so, too.- Lussuria agreed. Lambo tried to get up but couldn't. A peacock howled at his side, and Lambo let his head fall back on the pillow.  
-Oh, honey, you're awake!- Lussuria cooed, going to his bed. He smiled at the boy: -You're healed, but I have to ask you to keep your hands bandaged for all the day.  
-I'm sorry.- Lambo muttered.  
-Sorry for what? Honey. Listen to me.- Lussuria sat on the edge of the bed, -It's not your fault if nobody ever trained you before. We'll work on it, with patience. And then, if you want, you can stay here with us.  
-I... what?  
-The Vongolas don't realize how powerful you are.- Levi said, -We could use a Lightning like you. Think about it.  
-No, please, I don't want to think about it, I'll get nervous and...  
-You don't have any electricity in your body, until you don't get in contact with an external source you will be perfectly fine.- Lussuria said, -This is the right moment to have a mental breakdown, if you want to.  
-It's not like I have fun breaking down, uh...  
-Lambo!- Fran called from the doorstep, -I have just heard! How are you?- Lambo looked at him, saw the worry in his eyes. He stared at Lussuria and Levi and saw that they were worried as well.  
He suddenly felt in the eye of a love that was never given to him and felt unworthy of it: he didn't do anything but losing his calm and fuck up, and yet nobody had said it was his fault, he wasn't scorned or punished. On the contrary.  
The mental breakdown hit him like a bat: he cried for a long time in the arms of Fran and Lussuria.

Levi sat on the couch of his private office and opened the file about Lambo that had been sent to him by the Vongolas: it contained the reports of all the episodes when the boy had used his Flames, from the famous episode against he himself, almost fifteen years prior, to the last fight at the ex Vindice prison.  
Levi was interested, in particular, to the battle for the Vongola Rings: his memories were faded, but he recalled perfectly the sudden appearance of teenage Lambo and then adult Lambo, a man of incredible power who could be able to strike him dead in a few minutes. He had been saved only by the end of the time of the Ten Years Bazooka; otherwise, he would have been screwed.  
First of all, he checked the personal details: he hadn't asked for explanations, knowing he would receive that very dossier, but there were a few things that didn't fit.  
He frowned.  
He rapidly browsed the sheets, looking for further details, but he couldn't find any.  
He put the dossier on his knees and took out his cellphone; after a brief hesitation, he composed a number.  
-Hello?- a voice answered at the other side of the line. In the background there was the chit chat of some television; Levi heard the registered laughter that were typical of sit-coms.  
-Hi, Cutiepie.  
-Uncle Lev? Is that you?!  
-Cutiepie, I need you to make a research in the Bovino archives.

-Are you sure I can?- Lambo asked in a mere whisper, -You told me not to!  
-If they called you, you can. Come on, do you think they will start do the zippy zappy when they know you're coming?  
-The hell could I know, Fran, they scare me!  
-And that's a good start. Come on, go there and knock!- Lambo swallowed but let himself be pushed forward by the illusionist towards the door of Xanxus' office, where Squalo had summoned him some minutes before. He knocked and waited to be let in.  
Squalo himself opened the door; he signalled him to come in and pointed at two chairs in front of an enormous desk. Behind it, Xanxus stared at him, playing with a glass filled with a dark liquid.  
Lambo chose a chair and sat down; Squalo occupied the other. The boy froze: who did he have to address to? He eventually decided to speak to both: -Did you wanted me to come?  
-Yes. Here, I think you don't know shit.- Xanxus said, then leaned forward to slide a dossier towards him. Lambo looked at the title, scared, and found out it was the famous file that Squalo had requested from the Vongolas.  
-Take a look at it and tell us what you think.- Xanxus added.  
-Here? Now?- Lambo asked.  
-VOI! Of course, when did you think you could do it? Tomorrow while you take a shit?  
-I don't... I mean...  
-Calm down, scum. And I mean both of you. Lambo, read. Squalo, shut your hole.- Lambo took the file.  
At the half of the first page, he developed the strong temptation of leaving everything, pack up and go live in the middle of a desert land.  
According to the informations picked up by Reborn, those few members of the Estraneo Family who had survived Mukuro's vengeance had discovered his immense ability after the battle of the Arcobaleno and were now chasing him.  
They had allied with the Incognito Family, long time enemies with the Cavallone, and together with them they had been leading some intelligence operations to pick up informations about Mukuro; someone had talked and the man had been kidnapped with the help of a machine created by Verde, some sort of Flames suppressant.  
-Flames suppressant?- Lambo asked, -So that's why we weren't able to use them at first!  
-Yes.- Squalo confirmed, slightly nodding, -Luckily, Giannini had heard of it. In a few days he gathered a team of hackers and they stole the projects.- Lambo listened to Squalo while he went on with the reading. According to the report, Dino Cavallone and his Guardians had found the suppressants with which the Estraneos had surrounded the ex prison of Vindice and had destroyed them. At that point, the Vongolas had attacked and had rescued Mukuro.  
The cost of the battle had been high: many injured, some of them severely, and losses by both parties. Then, Mukuro had been cured and brought back to Japan, where they had found a place for him to stay that wasn't the old Kokuyo park.  
-The raid of the Cavallone had been crucial. No one but that bunch of weirdos could decide to attack without Flames, also given that Verde has created a barrier to avoid the Estraneos to be affected by the suppressant. It was an almost suicide mission.  
-I don't get it. Verde doesn't seem... you know... evil. I mean, he's selfish, alright, but...  
-Verde is a scrounger.- Squalo said, crossing his legs, -He sees Mukuro as nothing but a lab rat. He only cares about his stupid research.  
-What does he want to do?- Lambo asked.  
-We don't know.- Xanxus answered, -And maybe he doesn't know yet, too. The thing is, he paired with the Estraneos.- Lambo shut up, feeling like an idiot for having tried to see the best of that crazy scientist.  
-But I get your point. Reborn too admitted he wasn't expecting it. And he has known Verde for a long, long time.  
-He has been helped by Mukuro! In the battle of the Arcobaleno!- Lambo suddenly remembered.  
-Yeah. It must have been then the moment when he discovered his potential.  
-Sick bastard...- Lambo growled, then took a deep breath. Squalo had moved his hand to his sword and Xanxus had put his in a drawer: -I got this.- Lambo said, than lifted his gaze, -If there's something I can do to help, please tell me.- Squalo and Xanxus stayed silent for a while, then they exchanged a stare.  
-Keep on training.- Squalo said in the end, -We'll find you something to do. You can go now.- Lambo got up and went out of Xanxus' office. In the hall, he found Fran waiting for him: -What did they say?  
-They showed me the report from home.  
-Bad?  
-I don't know. I feel like I've entered the cinema in the middle of a movie. At home, they never tell me anything.  
-They probably do so to protect you... Mukuro as well did that with me, he started to keep me up with stuff like a year ago.  
-I know, but...  
-Hey, losers.- a voice called from a dark corner. Fran and Lambo turned around, and Belphegor emerged from the shadows, eyes glazing from under his bangs.  
-Bel senpai...- Fran greeted him, then grabbed Lambo by the wrist to stop him from stepping forward.  
-Come here, I mean no harm... I just want to play.- Fran didn't answer, and Lambo did so for him: -Well... actually, we...  
-We. It's already we.- Belphegor interrupted him, incoherently, then he threw a knife. Only one, but well aimed: right to Fran's heart. The illusionist, dumb-folded, couldn't move. With a slick movement, Lambo got in front of him and took the knife in his back, sure that the Cuoio Bovino would take the most of the damage.  
And so it was: the knife sunk in his skin, right under his shoulder blade for no more than a centimetre. When Lambo turned around, Belphegor had already disappeared.  
Fran muttered: -He never did that before...  
-What? He throws knives at you every other second!- Lambo answered, taking the knife out from his back and vaguely thinking about how fast he had adjusted to the situation.  
-He just plays, but he knows how to throw them not to hurt so much. That one would have pierced me. I...- Fran swallowed, while his eyes lost the usual coldness and filled with tears. He whispered: -I'm in love with him and he wants me dead!  
-Is there something I can do?- Lambo asked, caressing his shoulders. Fran shook his head: -I think I'll go to sleep. Goodnight, Lambo.  
-Goodnight.- Fran went away, his back bent forward, and a familiar sensation of uselessness waved upon Lambo. He remembered that Ryohei, with his Sun Flames, was able to cure wounds, but he didn't know if that worked with broken hearts as well; anyway, to shut up that mental voice that kept on telling him “you're useless”, he went towards Lussuria's apartments. Even if he couldn't do anything, at least he may provide some good advice.  
He knocked and waited for the man to open the door; the queer's warm smile welcomed him when the door cracked open: -Lambo, honey, you need something?  
-Well, I...- Lambo felt a push of shyness. At home, they always treated him like a disturber when he asked for something, but he encouraged himself thinking that this time he wasn't begging for himself, but for Fran: -Well, the thing is... Fran has argued with Belphegor, and he is a bit... well, a bit shocked. I was wondering if maybe you could... with your Flames...- his voice faded away, as well as Lussuria's smile; the man's expression became a condescending frown.  
-I can only heal wounds of the body, not the heart's. But I'll get Squalo, he can soothe him with his Rain Flames.  
-Oh! That's great, thank you. And sorry if I bothered you.  
-No bother, I'm something like a mum, here. I'm used to!- Lussuria blurt out his peculiar laughter and put an arm around Lambo's shoulders, then got out of the room and closed the door behind himself: -If you're interested, I can get you some books about the usage of the Flames.- he proposed, walking along the corridor together with the boy.  
-Oh, I'd like to!  
-Consider it done, then! Now, you better go. Believe me, you don't want to see this.- Lussuria said, then he lifted up the sleeves of his pink pyjamas before knocking at the door of Xanxus' office.  
-Why tha... oh.- Lambo didn't even have to sharpen his ears. Moans of an unmistakable kind were coming from inside the office: -Ok, I got it, I care about my health.- Lussuria giggled and knocked. The last thing Lambo heard before locking himself in his room was an indignant “VOOOIII” that made the whole house shake.

Levi's phone rang, signalling a new message. The man unlocked the screen and allowed himself to smile at the sight of the profile picture of the sender: a piglet in a unicorn dress, eating an ice cream. The smile died on his face when he read the message: -So far no luck. Can you get me a DNA sample?- from what Levi remembered, his contact was very keen on communicating by pictographs, and yet in the message there was not even a single emoji. He told himself that he hadn't heard from her in a while, and that growing up people tend to be less exuberant even when it comes to messages writing. Levi told her he would get the sample in no time. The contact gave him a safe address and Levi put his phone down.  
He kept thinking that something wasn't quite right.


	4. The Ground's Shaking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Belphegor could go very far with his jealousy. Too bad he hasn't considered his enemy.  
> Meanwhile, Lambo is very, very tired.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, three kudos? Really?  
> I wasn't expecting it with a LR, seriously. Thank you so much, keep telling me if you appreciate this! Comments and kudos really make my day <3

Lambo's phone started vibrating like crazy at exactly nine past midday of an usual Wednesday. It was already a month since he had started his training at Varia Mansion, and still he couldn't understand whether he liked it or not.  
The training was going great, Levi couldn't contain his praise about his rapidness in learning how to control his Flames. Moreover, he had found somewhere a couple of horns and had given them to him, explaining that they were used to canal the Flames; Lambo had lost his like a million years before. He had put them somewhere, since nobody had explained him what they were for and since he couldn't come out with a decent Elettrico Cornata: according to Fuuta, his future version who had appeared during the Battle for the Vongola Rings was able to hit from a distance, while he still had to smash his head against the target, literally gore it, to be able to deliver an electric shock.  
Which, he had to admit, wasn't really comfortable when your target is a very hard wooden mannequin and you're a goofball. At the umpteenth concussion he had simply decided to try something else and had put away his horns.  
He was just admiring the new ones when the phone had started ringing. Lambo put the horns in his laps and took his cellphone; he slid his finger on the screen to accept the incoming videocall, asking himself why on Earth were they calling that day, since they had resolved to do it at alternate days and they had been calling the day before.  
-Lambo! How are you?- Tsuna asked.  
-I'm fine, Tsuna nii, what about you?  
-We... well, we're alright, it's just...- Lambo felt his heart pounding when he noticed that in the background there was the tall, sensual figure of Reborn. He blamed himself for answering the phone, even if he knew he couldn't foresee that. Or maybe he should have, an unexpected call often means troubles, and where there's trouble there's Reborn.  
-Did something happen?- Lambo asked. Tsuna rapidly turned towards Reborn, then faced the screen again: -No... or, at least, I don't think so. But I have to ask you one thing, and I need you to answer sincerely.  
-Oh... sure, tell me.  
-What kind of relationship is there between you and... uhm... Belphegor's boyfriend?  
-Wait, Belphegor doesn't... oh!- a lightbulb appeared on Lambo's forehead, and he began to giggle. His jumps soon transformed in a flowing river of uncontrolled laughter.

“Stop it, already.” Reborn thought, and stepped forward. He grabbed Tsuna's phone and commanded: -Lambo! Stop laughing and answer!  
-Alright, alright...- Lambo gave up, drying a little tear, -Yare, yare... this one is gold.  
-So?!  
-I think we're talking about Fran.- Lambo said, holding in some other laughter. Reborn was on the verge of leaving for Italy just for the sake of kicking his damn ass. Lambo took a deep breath and said: -Fran and I have become friends. We spend a lot of time together and I think Belphegor is jealous!- he gossiped.  
-That's all, are you sure?- Reborn asked again. Lambo suddenly got serious, and Tsuna took advantage of the moment to gain hold of his cellphone.  
-Here, that's what I thought.- he said, -Because Squalo wrote just the other day praising you endlessly.  
-What? He did?- Lambo asked, glad. Tsuna nodded: -He said you're doing great controlling your Flames. Levi thinks you will be good enough in a month, no more.  
-Give me the phone, honey.- Gokudera's voice said, then his frowned face entered the screen: -Don't you dare stay there more than what's necessary, you get me, Aho Ushi? You're ours!  
-Yeah, I'm Jack and I have to come back. I'm not a package, you know?  
-You understood me, come on. Squalo said that they offered you to join the Varia.  
-Yes, that's true.  
-Well, you're not allowed! We...  
-What Hayato is trying to say...- Tsuna interrupted him, -Is that you're our Lightning Guardian, and you're not replaceable. We love you, we miss you and we're looking forward for you to come back home.  
-Yeah. You showed that just fine.  
-Lambo! What do you mean?- Tsuna asked, flabbergasted.  
-You wanna now? You really want? Well, for once, here I'm not the village fool. Everyone treats me good, no one yells at me at every step I take, I go along with Fran, and Levi is always ready to explain stuff to me if I don't get it. Lussuria pampers me as if I was his son, and Squalo and Xanxus care to tell me what is happening. You know what? I'm seriously thinking about staying.  
-No, Lambo, wait!  
-I gotta go. Lunch will be ready soon. Bye.- Lambo hang up and suppressed his instinct to burst into tears.  
Once he got a hold on himself, his first idea was to run to Fran and tell him everything. Then, he remembered that that crisis had started for another reason and decided to do something else instead.  
He wore his horns, he fixed his hair on his shoulders and took a look in the mirror to check if he seemed as menacing as he felt. In just a month he had gotten bigger at his shoulders and torso, while remaining thin, and the hair which had grown as a collateral effect of Lussuria's cures hadn't been cut: he was far from home, no one forced him to go to the hairdresser and it was ages since he wanted them long, so he had just let go.  
His horns tingled with electricity: as usual, just touching his phone had been enough to charge him. He smirked: it would have been useful.  
He left the room and headed steadily towards Belphegor's apartments: seeing him pass by, Lussuria moved aside, but didn't speak. Lambo understood that he had to be quick: for sure, the man would alert someone in a few minutes, so his time was limited.  
He got in without knocking and found Belphegor throwing knives at a dartboard which was decorated by a photograph of Fran. -EHI!- the Prince snapped, -I get it that you live in a stable, but it's common practice to knock before entering a room!  
-Like you would have opened.- Lambo replied, without missing a beat. Belphegor blushed with rage and his eyes flamed behind his bangs. Without talking back, he threw a handful of knives to him. Lambo felt their magnetism, identified them one by one and stopped them with a single little shock. He didn't even have to use his horns. He electrified then, revolved them and threw them back with a shake of his hands. Belphegor found himself hung up on the wall, trapped by his own weapons; he furiously swore.  
Lambo didn't allow himself to be intimidated: he had only pierced his clothes, not him, and that left him with a barely enough span of time. He stepped in front of him and grabbed him by the throat: -The fuck you wrote to the Vongolas? Huh?  
-I told them the truth, you bastard!- Belphegor answered, -If Squalo doesn't have the guts to say that you stole Fran from under my nose or if he has taken your part, I don't give a shit. You're acting like the piece of shit you are and you will pay for doing this to the Prince!  
-I don't like Fran in that way.- Lambo declared. Belphegor set an arm free, took a knife and rapidly moved it towards Lambo's bare neck. The boy shoved him at one side and vaguely thought that it was strange to think that that puny guy had frightened him so much just a few weeks before.  
-You LIAR son of a bitch! I'll kill you!- Belphegor threatened, throwing a knife. Lambo chased it away with a gesture of his arm, as if he was shooing a fly, took Belphegor by his wrists and trapped him to the floor with the weight of his own body: -If you want advice,- he softtly said, -Before whining about some bastard cow stealing your boyfriend, try to be less of an asshole to your lover. And maybe try asking him if he does want to be your boyfriend, since he has no idea about it.  
-What?! Don't talk shit, we had sex!  
-What makes you thi...  
-VOI! The fuck is happening?- Squalo yelled from the corridor. Lambo got up, freeing Belphegor who jumped on but didn't say a word. Behind Squalo, Fran appeared and looked inside the room; worry was showing on his almost expressionless face. The swordsman got in and divided the two using the flat side of his sword.  
-SO?! I'm waiting!  
-Bel senpai, Lambo, what's happening?- Fran asked, looking alternatively at the two. Then, his gaze focused behind Lambo, on the dartboard. His deadpan stare trembled, and the whole house started to shake like in an earthquake.  
-VOI!- Squalo swore, -You just can't screw in peace in this damn place!- he grabbed Fran by his shouders and rudely held him; little by little, the illusionist calmed down and the ground stopped shaking. Squalo dissolved that strange kind of a hug that had had the only purpose to shower him with his Requiem of the Rain, but Fran held still to his waist, his face buried in the swordsman's chest.  
-THE HELL IS HAPPENING?!- the man yelled.  
-Squalo san, I think that Fran and Belphegor should talk to each other.- Lambo said. Belphegor didn't open his mouth, but his cheeks were showing an insane redness on them.  
Squalo hesitated, then he tried to unstick Fran from himself. Lambo got closer and put a hand on the illusionist's shoulder; in a low voice, he said: -Tell your Prince he doesn't need to be jealous of me. And make up, so he may stop trying to kill me.- Fran looked at him, searched in his mind, and Lambo let him. The sensation was annoying, like being naked in front of a crowd, and the image of Reborn in the background of the call, silent and judging, emerged all of a sudden.  
-Woops.- Fran said, letting go of Squalo.  
-Well, what is done is done.- Lambo replied, then moved to make room for him. Squalo stopped him on the doorstep: -If we leave, they're gonna kill each other?  
-Nah.- Lambo replied, then he shrugged and went out.  
A few seconds later, Squalo was t his side: -Now you tell me what the fuck is going on.  
-What's the last email you wrote to my family?  
-The usual update. Why?  
-Check the history. I think Belphegor sent another one. He's jealous of Fran and me and tried to get rid of the problem.  
-Follow me.- Squalo commanded, and to be sure he obeyed he carried him by his shirt. Lambo was forced to follow and was thrown into Xanxus' office.  
-What the FUCK...?!- Xanxus blurt, outside Lambo's sight.  
-Boss, get dressed, I have to check one thing with the brat.- at Squalo's “get dressed”, Lambo gave up the idea of getting up from the floor and tried to shove his face in the carpet. He stood still, his ass to the air and his face to the floor, like a Muslim who was concentrated into a very intense prayer, and tried not to think at what they could have been doing those two before Squalo was forced to stop.  
-That dick. Xanxus, we have to find a mission for Belphegor. Shitty enough to make him pay for this joke.  
-The fuck did he do?- Xanxus growled, from somewhere too close to Lambo, -And you, scum, get up, the nap break is over.  
-The little shit cracked my email and told the Vongolas to get the boy back.- Squalo answered. Xanxus went quiet while reading, then he snapped: -Is he stupid? Scum, who the hell is Belphegor's boyfriend?- he asked. Lambo, dumbed by the stress, answered: -Fran. But he doesn't know, so shhh. He hasn't been informed yet. Anyway, I'm not flirting with him, he's just a friend. I fancy Reborn, you see?- Squalo stared at him with his mouth opened. Xanxus, who was arguing with his cufflinks, let one of them fall on the floor. A bird chirped from the woods.  
-You can... you can go now.- Xanxus finally said, and Lambo got up: he didn't need to be convinced.

He went down to the kitchen, asked Lussuria if he could eat in his own room and took refuge there with a plate of pasta he just didn't feel like eating.  
He nibbled the food anyway, mostly because Lussuria was always so nice and would have been worried knowing he hadn't eaten. The idea of throwing away some good food didn't even cross his mind, and after a very long thirty minute he finally put down the fork and placed the plate on the bedside table.  
Fran got in without knocking at around three and sat beside him on the bed, mute and with a sad gaze. Lambo didn't force him to speak, and after a while Fran muttered: -I told Bel that if he wants to stay with me he has to treat me right.  
-What did he say?  
-He freaked out. He started with his Prince bullshit and I lost my temper and... Lambo, I think this time it's over for good.  
-I'm sorry.- Fran didn't speak and leaned on his shoulder. They stood still and silent, thinking about how much life was shit, while the shadows slowly got longer.  
-Don't you have training, today?- Fran asked, after a long while.  
-No, Levi was busy. Squalo wanted to teach me some meditation, but...  
-Squalo?! Meditation?!- Fran asked, flabbergasted. For his amusement, Lambo performed a quite good imitation: -“VOI! How do you think I'm able to stand all you dickheads all day long?- Fran dimly gigged.  
-Sounds fair. Why did he cancel?  
-He... he didn't, precisely. But after he took me away he shoved me into Xanxus' office and... well, he threw me on the floor and told Xanxus to get dressed.  
-WHAT?!- Fran blurt, -And you? Did you spy?  
-I'm not THAT stupid, man! I wanted to die, I swear, I'll pretend to think they were busy with a tailor.  
-Yeah, no doubt. Did you hear Squalo, didn't you? “You can never screw in peace”.  
-Because he was... uhm... screwing the leftover tissue before throwing it away.  
-Logic. Undebatable.- Fran sarcastically agreed, then he sighed: -I already miss him.  
-Go make up with him,- Lambo encouraged him, -Squalo wants to fin him a shitty mission, at least try to make peace before he leaves.- Fran didn't answer and Lambo didn't insist. He understood that even if he wanted to fix everything, on the other hand Fran didn't want to show himself as weak. It would have been like starting everything over again, accepting the excruciating pull-push that was his relationship with Belphegor.  
They didn't move from where they were, getting up only to go to the toilet and grab some drinks. At around five, Fran sneaked to the kitchen and came back ten minutes later with a bowl full of buttered pop-corn, still warm, and after agreeing on how Lussuria was a wonderful mum they went back to stare at the wall.  
-What a quiet day.- Lambo commented, -I only counted three explosions.- Fran giggled, then he took his cellphone and checked the time: -It's almost eight. We better go down for dinner.  
-Guess so.- in a pavlovian reflex, Lambo checked his own phone; no new messages, no one had bothered to insist for him not staying in Italy. How consoling.  
They got up and headed to the door; Lambo opened it and found himself in front of Belphegor. He jumped.  
-He's here, isn't he? I've been looking for him the whole afternoon.- Belphegor gently said, in an unusual humble voice. Lambo didn't answer, but moved at one side revealing Fran standing behind him; the illusionist wasn't wearing his iconic frog hat, so he had been invisible behind the taller boy.  
Fran didn't do anything to encourage Belphegor to speak; maybe, Lambo thought, he was too nervous to do it. The Prince licked his own lips and Lambo tried to get past him, but Fran grabbed him by the sleeve and he didn't try to set himself free. Belphegor had a strange aura, perceivable even to his brain, which hadn't the slightest inclination to mind reading, and if it made Lambo uncomfortable, he could only imagine how Fran was feeling.  
-Tonight I'm leaving for Milan. I don't know how much I'll be away, I have to find some gal for Levi and she seems to be one hell of a hide and seek player. I just wanted to... to say goodbye and... and say I'm sry.  
-What? I didn't understand- Fran said.  
-Sry. Yeah, I mean, frgv me.- Lambo had understood what he wanted to say, and also that Fran was just insisting. He hold back the insane impulse to tell Belphegor “buy a vocal”, got free from Fran's grip and went away.  
Ten minutes later, the two appeared at the dinner table. Over his usual frog hat, Fran was wearing Belphegor's tiara. On his usually deadpan face there was an enormous idiot smile. Squalo looked at them and huffed, muttering something that strangely sounded like “dorks”.  
The swordsman raised his eyes and met Lambo's. The latter blushed and couldn't hold a grin at the memory of the jokes he had exchanged with Fran. Damn death wish.  
-So,- Lambo said, -How did it go with the tailor?- he asked Squalo. Fran raised his head from the plate and stared at Lambo like he had grown a second head all of a sudden.  
-VOI! Tailor?! What tailor?!  
-Well. Today, when you threw me in Xanxus' office, you told him to get dressed. The only thing that I can imagine is that he was getting some tailored clothes.- Lambo put the fork to his mouth and slowly chewed on a piece of roast pork. Squalo nearly choked on his salad.  
Lussuria started to cough and had to drink a sip of water.  
Fran covered his mouth with both hands and tried to laugh in complete silence.  
Belphegor wasn't able to, so he let out a long: -Ushishishishshishi.  
-Squalo was helping me changing my closet from winter to summer clothes. There was no tailor.- Xanxus explained. His hand had the decency of trembling.  
-So why Squalo was talking about screwing?- Fran asked, pretending to be unfazed, -Did you have to repair something, maybe?  
-VOI! Yes, my damn balls, you broke them! Shut up and eat!- Squalo bellowed, trying to hide the fact that his face was turning a wonderful red.  
-Probably the closet, since they are out now, ushishishishi.- Belphegor said, and Xanxus nodded while the pun flew right over his head. Lussuria had given up eating and had gotten up with the excuse of getting bread: he was now standing in a corner, his face buried in his apron, laughing like a heavily drugged monkey.  
-Lambo.- Levi's voice called from the hallway, and the boy realized that the man wasn't taking part in the dinner; he had just assumed he was still on a mission, since there was no empty place, but it seemed that he was wrong.  
-Yeah?- he asked, wiping his mouth with a napkin.  
-Someone came to see you.- Levi said, then he nodded to invite Lambo to follow him. The boy exchanged a perplexed glance with Fran, then got up and started to walk behind Levi.  
The man was visibly very tired and seemed to be also a bit sad, but Lambo decided that he had relied a bit too much on luck for the present day and didn't ask anything.  
He focused on his crazy heartbeat: who in the world could have come to visit? He dismissed the idea of someone from the Vongola: he seriously doubted that one of them, even Tsuna, would leave everything to take a plane and go rescue him just because he said that maybe he wanted to stay there and not come back home. For sure, they would have labelled it as a whim and they had told themselves they would bring back the topic in a better moment.  
-In here.- Levi said, opening a door and then stepping aside.  
-You... you're not coming?  
-No, he wants to see you alone. And I need a shower.- Levi answered in a rude tune. Lambo didn't get offended: he was used to his unconventional manners, and moreover the man did seem really, really tired; it was a miracle he had answered with something understandable.  
-Oh, ok... thank you, then. Goodnight.- Lambo said, then went in.  
The room was a small parlour he hadn't seen before: that mansion was enormous, for sure. The lights were low, just a few appliques in a dark colour lightened the room. Lambo felt the pupil of his eyes enlarging all of a sudden for the difference with the light in the corridor.  
He looked around, searching for the person that wanted to meet him, and jumped at the sight of the silhouette of the man who was sitting on a couch with a small cup of coffee in his hand.  
He was surrounded by the shadows, and the lamps were behind his back, but Lambo would have recognized those whiskers everywhere: -Reborn?!


	5. Blood Moon Rising

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reborn and Lambo need to talk.  
> Something interesting will come up.

-Ciaossu, Lambo.- Reborn greeted him without missing a beat. He didn't get up, he didn't even put the cup down, he just remained there with his legs crossed, as calm as ever. His iconic fedora was on the coffee table in front of him, beside the plate.  
Lambo stayed quiet and didn't move. Eventually, Reborn finished his coffee and put down the cup; nonchalantly, he said: -The one you make is better.  
-The hell are you doing here?- Lambo asked, trying to speak like a real tough cookie; but his voice was trembling.  
-Can't I go and visit a friend I haven't seen for a long time?- Reborn asked, and may he be damned his voice was dense and sensual, like crème caramel slowly sliding on the viscous surface of a pudding. He lift up from the couch, discreetly pinching the fold on his trousers to straighten it, and got closer to the boy.  
-Tsk.- Lambo forced himself to say, -As if we are friends. We never was.- he declared, then he moved; passing far from Reborn, he stood by the window and looked outside, towards the nearly dark oak wood.  
-Lately, it seemed to me that things were changing.- Reborn implied. The calm in his voice, far from raising the same soothing effect on Lambo, was instead unnerving him.  
He saw the killer coming closer from his reflex on the window glass, but forced himself not to run away: if he did, he would once again appear weak.  
Reborn put a hand on his shoulder and insisted: -Don't you agree with me?  
-I honestly don't know what to think.- Lambo answered. He recalled all the “girly talks”, as Fran had called their conversations, that he did with the illusionist.  
They both felt their feelings weren't reciprocated, and yet that very day Belphegor had thrown a tantrum at the possibility to lose Fran and Reborn had flown there from Japan and had asked to see him.  
-I'll repeat my question. What are you doing here?- Lambo asked again. Reborn sighed and admitted: -I had to discuss some things with Levi. But I also came to talk to you.  
-So, come on. Speak up.- Lambo invited him. Reborn hesitated.

For the first time in who knows how much time, Reborn didn't know how to behave.  
He had thought that Lambo would have jumped on him, for all the time he had spent on the plane he had pictured himself hugging the boy, smelling the perfume of his hair while his tears of joy wetted his jacket, he had dreamed to kiss him in a secluded room and to see again those merry dimples on his cheeks.  
And instead, none of that had happened.  
Reborn said to himself he had to rejoice: Lambo that, between the lines, was declaring to be no longer interested in a relationship was an easy way out from that blossom of a feeling, the one that the killer had tried to erase for a month, the one that was menacing to become something way bigger then he was.  
More and more often, he had found himself imaging the day when Lambo would have come home, he saw himself playing it cool and hold himself, then pretend to allow him a hug. Lambo would have relaxed in his arms, and that very evening Reborn would tell him to come into one of his hiding places, where since then on they would have private meeting, not very related to the Vongola's business but however hot.  
He had imagined the sensation of his naked flesh under his fingers, chasing away the memory of Romeo who didn't look like him anymore, just a pale, skinny shadow, so dull if compared to that big muscular boy, with long hair and eyes as green as freshly cut grass. He had imagined to sink into him, he had imagined him sinking into his own flesh, and what was worse he had imagined to sit with him somewhere, without feeling the need to say or do something, just sharing and enjoying the silence.  
These were the feelings that Reborn was trying to suffocate; he had to, if he wanted to be still the cold hearted, rational killer he was, but he couldn't. The only thing he had been able to do was to force himself to leave the base when they waved over him, to avoid that someone would catch a glimpse of his thoughts: Tsuna had already asked him one if he was missing Lambo, and there was some kind of a malicious light in the depth of his hazel eyes.  
Reborn unconsciously clutched the hand he had put on Lambo's shoulder: DameTsuna had no idea about all the rumours that had been spread on the Tenth Vongola Boss when he had had the brilliant idea to go around Mafia Land holding hands with his Right Hand man.  
Homophobia wasn't common, in their world, but a homosexual Boss was a Boss that wasn't going to have a blood heir, and that weakened the Family. Reborn had to make another rumour going round about Tsuna willing to have a son with his blood, and for months he had to grease so many engines that he was left with no more favours to redeem anymore.  
If he had started to love Lambo and the thing would have leaked out, not only Reborn would have had a big weak spot, but Lambo himself would have been in danger.  
-Can you stop it, for Heaven's sake?- Lambo asked, taking his hand to unstick it from his shoulder; the excitement shock that filled Reborn at his mere touch was far from being comfortable. -You're hurting me.- the boy added.  
-Come back to Namimori, Lambo.- Reborn said. Lambo huffed: -My training is not done.  
-You know what I mean. Don't join the Varia.  
-Why?- Lambo asked, shrugging.  
-Because you're our Lightning Guardian, we need you!  
-You did pretty good until now, if I don't go wrong.  
-Holy shit, Lambo!- Reborn cried out. Eventually, Lambo turned around to look at him, astonished by the fact that the always cool killer had cussed. He didn't remember him cussing in all the years he had spent at his side. Reborn took him by his shoulders and shook him: -Why do you think Tsuna risked to lose the Ring battle with the Varias coming in to save you? Why do you think Gokudera saved you first during the duel between Tsuna and Xanxus? Why did we all come with you during the trial for the Vongola's Heritage? Why did we took you too back to the future to fight against Byakuran? Huh? Tell me?- Reborn looked into Lambo's eyes and tried to use his intuition to read his mind, but nothing. Lambo was just immensely confused, worried and in pain.  
Then, the boy's hands closed on Reborn's wrists, and the killer was sent away with not much elegance. Green Flames popped over Lambo's exposed skin, and Reborn put a hand on his gun. But Lambo took in a deep breath and in a few seconds he directed his Flames towards his horns, which seemingly absorbed them.  
-Extraordinary.- Reborn whispered.  
-I will have to remember this, tomorrow, or I'll end up blowing up another generator.- Lambo muttered, then he took off his horns and sat on a couch. Reborn followed him and sat on the one he had left s few minutes before. He dared to put a hand on his knee.

Those damn hands, Lambo thought, was it possible that Reborn couldn't keep them in his pockets? Fran popped into his mind, he and the line he said when someone took physical contact too far for his tastes: “Could you please shove your hands up your ass?” he let out the tiniest smile, then he sighed.  
-Reborn, that's not enough.- the killer laid back, freeing him from the touch if his damn hand. He silently waited for an explanation.  
-Here, I'm not treated like a fifth wheel. The second day I was here, Squalo and Xanxus showed me the report you sent them. Come on, is it normal that, as you said, I'm the Vongolas' Lightning Guardian and yet I didn't know shit? Tsuna nii wants to attack, he, Tsuna, wants to at-tack, and I get to know it only because the Boss of the Varias shoved a pile of sheets in my face? Is it normal? Tell me, and be honest!  
-No, you're right, it's not normal.- Reborn had to admit, in a whisper.  
-And is it normal that when I ask something at home everyone goes “not now”, “ask someone else”, while in this cave of psychopaths in the worst scenario they give me a book or they tell me exactly who to ask?  
-No, you're ri...  
-And is it normal that at twenty odd years I've finally found out I can be funny, that I'm not a complete idiot? Shit, just half an hour ago I made everyone laugh with a joke on a taboo thing!  
-Lambo, I...  
-When does Tsuna want to attack?- Lambo asked abruptly.  
-As soon as possible,- Reborn answered, -Probably in a few months, maybe before. We need time to set up some things.  
-What?- Lambo asked.  
-What do you mean?  
-You said you need time to set up some things. What are these “things”?- Reborn sighed, then said: -The Cavallone are planning a pincer attack at the Incognitos' base, but we have to be sure we won't find any traps. We need someone to double-play and get in to steal the blueprints and the system project, but the only person that could do it without raising suspects has disappeared. We don't know if the enemy got her or if something else happened.  
-And then?  
-Giannini is sharpening a system to erase Verde's anti-Flames waves. If he doesn't, we can't be sure we will be able to use the Flames and we could be in deep trouble: we don't have enough men to attack without the Flames.  
-What's the plan?  
-It depends from how the battle against the Incognitos will go. One way or another, the Estraneos will come looking for us, but if the Incognitos aren't defeated we will have to hide and reorganize, and that means we could have to leave the battlefield all of a sudden. Otherwise, it would be a massacre.- Lambo stayed silent, short with questions. After a while, Reborn said: -I can give you detailed plans, if you want.  
-Fran could create an illusion together with Viper, Mukuro and Chrome.- Lambo eventually said.  
-An illusion? For what?- Reborn said; his interest didn't seem completely fake. Lambo leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees, then he explained: -If the battle against the Incognitos goes on for a while, either we build a strong back guard or we will have the Estraneos attacking from behind. But if we keep their base under a dome creating the illusion that nothing's happening, we may be gain a little more time. Can we track the contacts between them?- Reborn shook his head, leaning on an armrest of the couch.  
-We know when they call each other, but their communications are encrypted with a dozen changing codes. By now, Giannini's hackers couldn't go past the first level.  
-How often do they hear each other?  
-Twelve hours, precisely.  
-Are twelve hours enough for us?- Lambo asked. His cheeks were red, and on the left one there was a shiny scar in the shape of a ramified lightning bolt. Reborn found himself thinking about how many thing he didn't know about Lambo, then he answered: -I guess they can be. Why?  
-Because I can melt their communication systems. I know it, I already did it here by mistake the second week of training.- Reborn pushed himself forward: -Are you serious?  
-Of course I'm serious. Never been so serious. I'm seriously serio...- Lambo interrupted himself, then slightly smiled: -Sorry, it's a joke between me and Fran, ignore it.- Reborn got up and stood in front of Lambo, then he lifted his face, holding his chin in one hand.  
Lambo's body gave in, unprepared: Reborn got in between his thighs which opened and gently perched the boy's chin on his own belly. Lambo felt his belt's buckle pressing against his Adam's apple.  
-The ideal would be doing it on a day where there are storms around.- Lambo added in a dreamy voice, -Levi and I can create shocks strong enough to create disturbs in their transmissions, so that if the Estraneos would call for any reason they will know that there are problems, but they may think that they're due to the bad weather.  
-Lambo...- Reborn whispered, then sunk his fingers in his hair. They were thicker and softer than he remembered, and for a while he had to look away from his face. The desire to kiss him and make love to him there, on an anonymous couch at Varia Mansion, was too strong.  
-If it... if it's stupid it's ok, it was just an idea.  
-Lambo... you've become an adult.- Reborn said.  
-Yeah, it happened a while ago.- Lambo looked down and found himself with his face shoved on Reborn's dress shirt. His smell, that some time before he had only been able to imagine it, was so strong he felt dizzy. It tasted like home, more than the mommish calls from Tsuna, more than Gokudera's rough manners, more than the messages with kittens that I-Pin sent him.  
-You were such a thorn in the side, as a child...- Reborn whispered, -And you were arrogant, too. Maybe... maybe we were too busy thinking that that we didn't notice you.- Lambo's heart tightened in a painful clutch and he shoved Reborn away.  
-I wish I could come back and save you from the pain of growing up alone. I'd really want it.- the killer said.  
-Well, you can't. What's done is done, my mum always said that to me.- Lambo said, looking away. Reborn opened his eyes wide: -You never spoke about your parents.  
-Not much to say. I only remember Mommy saying that thing and other few things.- Lambo smiled, at the faded memory of his mother, -She also said you can't hide your love or your cough.  
-What else do you remember?- Reborn asked, sitting at his side on the couch. Lambo laid down, with his head on the armrest and his legs still on the floor, barely brushing the killer's thigh with a knee. He crossed his arms behind his head and said: -I don't remember very much. She was never hungry. She worked a lot but always managed to bring me at the park. And she smelled like grapes.  
-That's why you like grapes so much?- Reborn whispered.  
-I don't know, maybe. She always had grapes and we ate it together. She bit on the berry and gave me half of it. I think...- Lambo's confession was abruptly interrupted by Reborn. The killer had thrown himself over him and was now kissing him with passion, exploring his mouth with his tongue without allowing him to escape. His hands explored Lambo's muscular body, and he let him do it.  
When he gained back some sort of sanity, however, he pushed him back: -Reborn, I...  
-Forgive us, Lambo. Give us another chance. Come back home.  
-I...- Lambo sighed, -You're asking me after shoving your tongue in my mouth, that's not fair at all!  
-You speak too much with Squalo, you're getting too smart for my liking.- Reborn joked.  
-Yare, yare, the great Reborn casting a half compliment!  
-Half, never. Either they're whole or nothing. Anyway, I said “too smart”, it wasn't a compliment. We like you stupid.- Reborn badly improvised.  
-Damn you and your sick reasoning. Anyway, I'm sorry but I'm this way. Take me or leave me.- Lambo said, laying down again. The sight of the boy so sure of himself, stretched out with his muscles well exposed under his t-shirt and his nipples creating two small moons of shadows on his chest, his half smile, his opened eye full of hope... everything was too much to allow Reborn to leave Lambo in control for the umpteenth time. There, half lying over him on the dim light of Varia Mansion, he only wanted to go on kissing him. He smiled and said: -We take. Jokes apart, Lambo, we want you back. That's all. We all miss you.  
-You miss me too?- Lambo asked. In that very moment, the room's door was shoved opened with a tremendous boom and Squalo greeted: -VOOOIII, Reborn!- the swordsman froze on his feet, looking at the scene.  
-We were checking whether if yellow is a good colour for my complexion!- Lambo declared, pulling Reborn's arm against his own face, also forcing him not to start shooting.  
-Aha, while lying down on top of each other?- Squalo asked, taking a small avenge for the tailor's joke.  
-Yes! You have to evaluate a colour under many light spots to be sure! Lussuria told me so!  
-VOI! If the tailor comes back, we'll make you a foulard.  
-The hell are you talking about?- Reborn asked, getting up and fixing his clothes, as if nothing happened. He shoved the fedora on his head to hide his dumb-folded expression.  
-Internal affairs, none of your business. Anyway, if you stop for the night we have a room for you.  
-That would be nice, Squalo, thank you.- gained back his usual aplomb, Reborn was escorted by the swordsman along the corridors, shortly followed by Lambo, who after a while said: -Well, I've arrived. This is my room. Goodnight, Reborn. Goodnight, Squalo.  
-VOI! Let's hope you grow a nice sense of humour overnight! Goodnight, brat.- ten minutes later, someone was frantically knocking at the door. Lambo went to open it while still in his underpants: he had lost himself smelling his own t-shirt, drenched in the manly smell of Reborn's colony water. He opened the door a bit and saw Fran, who asked in an almost inaudible huff: -That was Reborn!How did it go? Did you kiss? Did you cuddle? Did he say he love you?  
-Just a kiss, and he asked me to come back to Japan. He said that everyone misses me, I asked him if he misses me too but then Squalo broke down the door.- Fran did an explicit gesture of frustration and whispered a long: -Noooooo!  
-But we kissed!- Lambo murmured, -More, he kissed me!- Fran, from his pose with his arms forward, brought his hands to his mouth and corrected himself: -Yeeeees!  
-What about you and Bel? Come on, tell me!  
-I'll tell you better tomorrow, anyway we're officially together now!- they intensely stared at each other for a moment, then they started to silently giggle. They took each other's hands and started to jump in complete silence, like a pair of idiots, cheering without making any sound.  
-My God. I knew you couldn't be completely cured from your idiotness.- a warm voice said from behind them, and Lambo yelled: -Reborn!  
-Do I disturb you?- the killer asked, staring at Fran; the illusionist gained back is usual composure, which was only a product of his shyness, and said: -Well, uhm, no, I was just asking Lambo if he had... uhm... a sharpie for... colouring, because... uhm, I have a book with the mandalas that...  
-He was asking me if it was really you.- Lambo answered, giving his friend a lovely, condescending glance: as much as he was a powerful illusionist, he still needed some time to come up with a nice lie.  
-Well, I'm going. Nighty, Lambo!  
-Nighty, Fran.- Reborn watched him go away, a finger shoved in his sleeveless shirt's collar. He had unbuttoned his dress shirt and had rolled the sleeves up, and his slender body was sensual and tempting, in that homely, relaxed outfit.  
-I see why Belphegor is jealous. You look very close. There really is nothing more?  
-Just friendship. We're both too stupid to work well as a couple.- Lambo half heartedly joked. To be honest, they had considered the idea, but had dismissed it: it was too good to be just friends, without any complex feeling, jealousy and sex.  
-Good. Because you are...- Reborn stopped before ending the sentence. He wanted to declare his possession with a small, stupid pronoun: “mine”. But the memory of how Lambo had enraged when Gokudera had told him “You are ours” had stopped him.  
-I'm yours.- Lambo sighed, in a curiously bitter tune that contrasted with the passion that usually dripped from that very sentence, -Anyway it goes. For sure you're not mine, but I am yours.- Reborn bent forward and kissed Lambo on the lips. There, in the corridor, where everyone could see them just passing by. It was a brief, almost chaste contact, and when the killer leaned back he opened his mouth, as to say something, but Lambo was faster: -Goodnight, Reborn. And whatever you do, I highly recommend not to open any closet but yours.- he said, then he went back to his room.


	6. Thunder Roaring in the Distance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dino Cavallone's Lightning Guardian has been found, and the informations she found will be very useful.  
> Reborn seems to have past troubles with her, and some present day ones as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so, I'm really nervous about this chapter.  
> I needed to introduce an OC -you'll soon understand why- (Ryohei from the backstage is yelling "EXTREMELY MAD HEADCANONS!") and I had some troubles before with some people hating on my OCs before. I guess I'm a bit of a crybaby about the subject /Ga-ma-nnn.../ and I really would be glad if you'd tell me what you think, I don't want to ruin a story with an unnecessary Mary Sue!  
> Thanks everyone for kudos and comments, you make my days! <3  
> XOXO

Fran woke up when he found someone in his own bed: -Froggy.- said a known voice.  
-Bel senpai, you're back already...- Fran whispered. Belphegor's arms cuddled around his waist; his hair smelled like coconut balm and were still warm from the hair dryer.  
-I'm back already.- Belphegor answered, then he barely kissed him. Fran had no time to reply to the kiss, that Bel's lips loosened: he was already asleep.

Dino Cavallone arrived at Varia Mansion at a quarter past four in the morning; he was about to ring the doorbell, when he saw a figure coming towards him.  
-VOI! Don't ring the bell at this hour, the children are sleeping, do you want to wake them? We were waiting for you.- Squalo seemed exhausted, his voice harsh like he was short with sleep and was struggling to put his neurons to work together, his hair unusually unkept and wearing just a greyish sweatsuit. He opened the gate and Dino came in: -How is she?  
-Tired. But she has the blueprints of the Incognito's base.- Squalo answered, leading him towards Xanxus' office. Dino followed without saying a word and came in. The room was hosting the élite squad of the Varia, all but Fran and Belphegor; at Levi's side there was a woman of about thirty who looked way beyond tired.  
-Viola, you made me die with fear!- Dino scolded her. She got up and got to hug him, accepting with a half smile also the playful punch he gave on her arm before holding her close.  
-Sorry, I know. But I thought that disappearing with no warning I would have seemed less suspect. And as I thought, that dumbass called Mirko thought I ran away because I finally realized I love him.  
-Time for trimming, Haneuma.- Xanxus said, handing him a list of names. Viola sat back and Levi gave her a glass; she drank a sip then said: -I've been suspecting an impostor for a while. I didn't dare to tell you before I got the proof.- Dino heavily fell on the couch in front of her, dumbfolded. Squalo put a hand on his knee and said: -I'm sorry, Dino.- the blond nodded. The list wasn't long, but it contained the names of some people Dino thought he could trust, and like the last time it had happened he suffered for it as if it was his fault.  
-You were saying they got auxiliary security systems?- Xanxus asked Viola. She stopped looking at Dino and put on a serious expression: -Yes. Diesel-fueled generators, programmed to step in as soon as the electricity goes out.  
-VOI. Shit, so Lambo's plan can't work.- Squalo said, leaning back against the couch. The woman looked at him with a puzzled expression.  
-The Vongolas' Lightning Guardian. He's here for an intensive training. Yesterday he told Reborn we could attack on a stormy day and destroy their communication systems to avoid them to launch an S.O.S. and avoid the next contact. But if...  
-Reborn is here?- Viola interrupted him.  
-Yes. Why?- Xanxus asked. The woman's jaw contracted: -Nothing. Go on, Squalo, I'm sorry.  
-I was saying that the Estraneos sure know that they have the generators. If their drones fly over the place, even if the house has no damage they will suspect something.- the woman stayed silent. Dino was looking at her in a funny way, but didn't say a word.  
-So, there are three Lightning Guardians who can concentrate enough electricity to destroy the communication systems, did I get it right?- Viola asked after a while.  
-Exactly.- Levi answered, -You, me and Lambo. And there's also the Varia's Lightning Squad, they can be of support even if they're not exceptional.  
-Then I have an idea. It's not easy to perform, but it could work.  
-Come on, you nerd, shoot.- Dino encouraged her, giving her a tiny smile. She flipped the bird at him and said: -If we follow the wind, we can create a lightning storm along a path that takes in the western wing of the mansion.- she bent forward. On the coffee table there was the map of a big two story building, and Viola pointed over a corner. -The generators are here. If we get the help of a couple of Clouds, we can hit here and then let the electricity use the Propagation to spread into the whole building from here. The systems are connected, obviously, to allow the takeover of the generators in case of a blackout.  
-With the Propagation we would bypass the security systems that avoid the short circuit of the generators.- Levi muttered, -Yes, I think we can do it. With the signs of the storm following the wind and going on for a large area we can trick them for a while.  
-We should ask Byakuran to fight with us.- Dino said, -If there is some track of Flames where the lightning strikes, he can absorb them so not to leave the smallest hint. I know for sure that Verde has a Flame detector... I guess we can let us be covered under a Mist illusion, but I doubt we have enough of them to cover a large area.  
-You're right.- Squalo agreed, -Not to mention that it would be a waste, they could be used elsewhere.  
-Tell Sawada to contact Fairy Wings, Cavallone.- Xanxus grunted. Someone knocked at the door and opened it without waiting for permission: -Ciaossu.  
-Reborn.- Dino greeted him, -We have the blueprints of Incognito Mansion and the first idea of a plan. We have to contact Tsuna as soon as possible.- the killer got closer to look at the maps and skimmed through them with attention. -Very well.- he approved, when Dino had finished explaining, then he straightened his back. Squalo bent forward and picked something up from the map: -Look. A curly hair. Doesn't seem yours, Reborn.- the killer gave him a dirty look.  
-You don't want to be witty, Squalo,- he said in a calm voice, -I know about you much more than you thing.  
-Yeah, don't provoke him, Squalo,- Viola blurted, -I assure you that if that guy starts to hate you he knows how to make your life a real hell.- Reborn looked at her.  
-Viola. I have already told you that Romeo's death was a tragic accident.  
-Of course. Who never mistook the sugar bowl for the poison bowl?   
-The hell you're talking about?- Levi asked, -Romeo that Romeo? Your brother?- Viola nodded.  
-It happens much more frequently that someone acts in unforeseeable ways,- Reborn said, -But I think it would be more appropriate to discuss the matter in a different moment.  
-I suggest you all go to sleep,- Lussuria said, speaking for the first time, -All but you, young lady, I think you deserve at least a shower. I'll show you the way. You others, to bed now, breakfast is at nine.- Viola followed him outside the room, and little by little the others waved goodnight, leaving Xanxus and Squalo alone.  
-Do you think Reborn knows about us?- Xanxus asked after a while, looking out of the window towards the dawn, which was already breaking.  
-I'm almost sure. But he's not so stupid to tell around that we're sleeping together.- Squalo answered, stepping at his side. Xanxus looked at him sideways: -I was sure that the matter was not so simple, Scum.  
-Which matter?  
-Don't play the fool.- Xanxus turned towards Squalo, who leaned his forehead to the window glass and smirked: -I'm not playing the fool. I'm beyond exhausted, I don't get what you mean.  
-Scum, wake up, you're drooling.- Xanxus called. Squalo emerged from the drowsy bubble he had suddenly fell in and cleaned his chin with the sleeve of his sweatshirt: -Sorry.  
-Since when you haven't slept, Squalo?- Xanxus asked. His voice was unusually worried.  
-Lost count of it.- the swordsman confessed. Xanxus rudely took him by his arm and shoved him on a couch; Squalo muttered: -Don't take offence if I fall asleep while you fuck me, Boss, I'm really crushing.  
-I don't want to fuck you, you idiot, I want you to get some rest.- Xanxus' last sentence fell unheard: Squalo was already asleep. The Varia Boss allowed himself a few moments to look at him sleeping, beautiful and with his face finally serene, and to think about the importance of that noisy dumbass, then he covered him with his jacket and laid down on the opposite couch. He fell asleep thinking at the face that the idiot would do less than five hours later, when Lussuria would come to wake them up and Squalo would realise what Xanxus had put on him.

A small figure, wrapped in a grey sweatsuit that was too big for her, hesitated in silence in front of Lambo's closed door. Before overthinking about it, she turned the knob without making any noise and got in.  
She was hit by the gentle perfume of the boy: a mix of milk and warm wool and an unknown trace like colony water, with a sour backtaste she wasn't able to clearly identify, but that left her nervous.  
She got closer, tiptoeing, to Lambo's bed. The boy was sleeping like a child, lied on his back with his arms and legs spread like a sea star; Viola shook her head, smiling, then put him back under the blanket. Lambo muttered something and made a small smirk with his lips.  
-Jump over the moon, but come back by dawn.- she whispered against his cheek, then she left a tiny, gentle kiss on the corner of his mouth. She checked once again that the blanked was well tucked, then she left the room, keeping in her nostrils that perfume of milk and wool.  
She was walking the corridor in silence, to come back to the room that Lussuria had set up for her and Dino, when the unknown smell she had been hit by in Lambo's room appeared once again, abruptly. When a voice said her name, Viola finally reconnected it to its source and felt her blood froze in her veins.  
-Let me guess.- she said, -You didn't arrive first at the meeting because you weren't in your room when they came looking for you. You were with Lambo.  
-You always had a detective instinct.  
-One day you'll tell my why you hate me this much.  
-First of all, I don't understand what this has to do with us. And about Romeo, I told you, it was an accident. And I deeply regret it to this day.- Viola turned around and looked at Reborn without answering, and the killer said: -Come with me.  
-Not gonna happen.- the killer hesitated, then sighed and gave in: -The poison was for Bianchi. Romeo was my lover, before... well, you know.- Reborn held the pacifier's replica he still had at his neck.  
-Go on.  
-Bianchi seduced him, but she was only interested to his ability of resisting to her Poison Cooking. She would have used him as a lab rat to create more lethal dishes and then she would have left him to die or just threw him away once she had found something that could damage him too. I exchanged the sugar with the poison, knowing that Romeo always drank his tea without it...  
-Apart from chai tea. He sweetened it.  
-I didn't know. And I didn't know that chai was going to be served, too. I tried to intervene, but it was too late. When we got to the hospital, he was already gone.  
-You didn't even show up at his funeral.  
-I did. But I didn't dare to pay my condolences to you.  
-And yet, you spared Bianchi's life. As far as I know, you also screwed her.  
-Bullshit. I was under the Arcobaleno curse. The mere idea disgusted me, and even if I wanted to I wouldn't have been able to. And I couldn't kill her, either, even if the temptation was strong: she's the sister of the Vongolas' Storm Guardian, Go...  
-I know who he is, thank you.  
-Now tell me what does this have to do with Lambo.  
-Why don't you start by calling him by his name?  
-I never knew it. Levi told me tonight that “Lambo” is a family nickname among the Bovinos, but we had no idea. He introduced himself like this, and the times we talked with Enrico Bovino he didn't use another name.  
-That old bastard never considered the thing. He never asks himself any question.  
-That's why you left the Family to join the Cavallone?  
-I joined the Cavallone because Dino took me in and our Flames merged with no effort. Don't pretend you don't know why I've been thrown out of the Family.- Reborn looked at her, puzzled, waiting for further explanations.  
-You are an arrogant prick, Reborn.- Viola said in a trembling, harsh voice. Reborn didn't reply, looking for a logic explanation that would justify her wrath. She seemed convinced that every bad thing ever happened to her was Reborn's fault, and if he was more than willing to bear the fault of Romeo's unwanted death, he didn't remember doing anything else to hurt her. If it was true that on Reborn's shoulders there was the weight of uncountable commissioned deaths, it was also true that he was a meticulous man. Before accepting a job, he always made sure to take informations about the potential victim and refused any target that would have risked to antagonize any powerful Famiglia. He didn't touch anyone who was in any way connected to the Vongolas' deep web of alliances, and if it was some traitor he would surely remember a connection between them and the Bovino.  
-What does he feel for you?- Viola asked, pointing at the corridor behind her. Reborn understood she was talking about Lambo.  
-He said he loves me. And I...- Reborn stepped back while Viola stepped forward towards him, and his hand ran to his belt, looking for his gun. In a moment of panic, he realized he had left it in his room: he didn't want to go to Lambo with his gun, and then he had been promptly drawn by the voices coming from Xanxus' office.  
He was unarmed.  
Unarmed and forced to deal with a person who wasn't reasoning, who was holding his throat in a tight grip. Viola forced herself up and hissed on his face: -Be aware that this is the only reason why I'm still not ripping your trachea.  
-Viola, enough.- said a voice behind her back. Levi came out of the shadows and put a hand on her shoulder, -I spoke to him a few hours ago. He doesn't know shit about Lambo, apart from the fact that he arrived in Namimori fifteen odd years ago claiming he wanted to kill him.  
-Is that true?- Viola asked, easing the grip on Reborn's neck. The killer nodded and Viola slowly let him go.  
-Go to sleep, Cutiepie. You're tired as hell and I don't want to think what you had to deal with in the last weeks. I asked Lussuria to leave you some tranquillizers, they're on your bedside table.- Viola gave one last dirty look at Reborn then she said: -Alright. Goodnight, uncle Lev.  
-Come on, tell me.- Reborn said. Levi sighed, passed both hands on his face and replied: -Come into my office. I'll show you what I put together about Lambo. You won't like it.- feeling a sting of anxiety, Reborn followed the man; stepping in front of Lambo's room, he wished he was free enough to screw everything and live happily ever after with him, then his sense of duty prevailed. With a sigh, he sped up to keep up with Levi's pace.

Lambo woke up all of a sudden when from the balcony came the song “Good Morning” by the Beatles, so as to say the most irritating song ever composed by a human mind, apart maybe from Asereje and Waka Waka.  
-Fuck me!- he protested. Belphegor, quietly sitting on the balcony, replied: -Ushishishishishi.  
-You're barely arrived and yet you start breaking everyone's balls?- Lambo asked, shoving the glass door open. His nipples hardened at the contact with the fresh air of the morning.  
-As if. I have already taken a shower, a nap and some good sex.  
-Bel senpai!- Fran called from the balcony next to that, -Do you have to tell everyone our business?  
-Froggy, this is Lambo, he's not “everybody”- Belphegor corrected him.  
-I heard you from here!- Lussuria chirped from the garden, where he was preparing for an open air breakfast. Judging from the quantity of food, he had invited for brunch the whole town and even someone from the neighbourhoods. A window was shoved open: -VOOOIII!!! Wake me up once again with that shitty song and I swear I'll slash you to bits!- Squalo yelled.  
-Squalo senpai!- Fran greeted him, -How come you slept in the Boss' office?  
-VOOOOOIIIII!!!- a gunshot interrupted the discussion, and Reborn emerged on the balcony of his own room. He was only wearing a pair of linen trousers and Lambo realized that despite the cold there was something in his body that was starting to react.  
-Good morning, Reborn.- he said, then he blushed thinking at the night before. He had hidden in his own room to avoid the killer to notice he was about to cry, the he had thrown himself on the bed and had buried his face in the pillow to suffocate his sighs. It had taken him a while to notice that someone was caressing his back, and when he had turned around, sure that it was Fran, he had found himself face to face with Reborn.  
The killer had kissed his cheeks, barely protruding his tongue to lick away his tears; and then, without saying a word, he had laid himself between his thighs and had begun to kiss him.  
Reborn looked at him and made an almost invisible smile: -Good morning, Lambo.- the boy blushed a lot more. That voice was raised in tiny harsh moans of pleasure in his ear, while Reborn simulated the movements of a sexual act, rubbing his virility against Lambo's. Lambo had shamefully ejaculated in his own pants, and was beginning to ask for forgiveness when he had felt Reborn pouring a warm fluid against his flat belly. He raised his hand to touch his abdomen: he didn't remember taking any shower, so the traces of their adventure would have been still there. And in fact, a slight harshness greeted the touch of his fingertips. Belphegor opened his mouth to make some comments, probably about Lambo's fish-like expression, when Dino ran out of Villa Varia, his whip in one hand, what seemed like a human-sized rag doll in the other and wearing only his bare skin: -WHAT'S HAPPENING? INTRUDERS, WOLVES, DANGER?  
-Good morning, Dino.- Lussuria calmly greeted him, -Nothing to worry about, just Squalo and Reborn who got up on the wrong side of the bed. I think you'd prefer putting on a pair of pants before breakfast, what do you think?- Fran jumped at Belphegor's side to have a better perspective on the matter, while Reborn got back into his room, sadly shaking his head.  
The rag doll that Dino had dragged with himself sat up and Lambo jumped in surprise. Then, the woman seemed to focus on what she had in front of her and whined: -Oh, for Christ's sake, Dino! Shit, I just woke up! Cover yourself, for the love of God!- Lussuria laughed and helped her to get up, and she hid her face against his chest while the man patted her on her shoulder and Dino ran into the mansion to get dressed.  
-Who's that woman?- Lambo asked, curious.  
-The chick I had to find.- Belphegor answered.  
-Well, you've been fast.  
-I've been lucky. I found her in a hostel for women in danger, right out of Brescia.  
-Please, tell me you haven't made a massacre.- Fran said.  
-Nope, but I think a few nuns shat their gowns when I said my name. Then she came out of a room and recognized me. I told her we were looking for her and took her here.  
Lambo looked at her while she sat at the table, next to Lussuria, and stole a grape berry. Levi went near the two and said something in a low voice.  
-How did you find out she was there?  
-It was one of the safe places Dino had mentioned in her file. She's his Lightning Guardian. But he tried to get in with good manners, and that's not a place where men are welcomed, you know. So he thought she wasn't there.- Lambo frowned. He had understood that the hostel was meant for women who had been raped, and the fact that that person had had to turn to them and still thought to it as a safe place was heartbreaking to him, for some unknown reason.  
-VOOOIII! You're fucking serious, Xanxus?!- Squalo yelled. The glass trembled in the window's frames and Reborn came back on the balcony: -Do you always wake up like this, here?  
-More or less.- Lambo confirmed with a sigh.  
-Psychopaths.- Reborn commented, then went back in.

Squalo looked at his own muscle connected prosthesis, the one he wore when he wasn't fighting so he could have some form of sensibility. He was miraculously quiet, after having thrown that thunderous scream. Xanxus patted his ears with a handkerchief and realized, with relief, that he wasn't bleeding: he had been almost sure that the scum had broken both his eardrums, but he seemed to be safe.  
-Xanxus...- Squalo called with a trembling voice, still looking at his hand, -Xanxus, if you're joking on me I swear I... I...  
-I'm not joking. But if you scream like that once again I might change my fucking mind.- Xanxus muttered, then asked: -So? What do you answer?- Squalo played with the simple white gold ring on his ring finger, then he lifted his stare and looked at Xanxus: -VOI! What a stupid question! Fucking yes!


	7. Calm Before the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The battle is incoming.  
> The Families of the alliance are soon merging to begin their attack; meanwhile, Lambo thinks he found out something incredible.

Lambo came out on his balcony again after the shower to check how the breakfast was going: if they had already finished, he would have gone to the kitchen to grab something on the run and then to Levi for his training, but it seemed that they still were eating.  
Lussuria had disappeared, probably to grab some other food, Dino had (thank God) put on some clothes and was talking to Squalo; the latter had the face of someone who has just been hit by a train. Levi and Xanxus were standing in front of each other and apparently were in the middle of a serious discourse. Lambo looked around, searching for Reborn, and finally he saw him near the woods, talking with the woman that Belphegor had claimed being the Cavallones' Lightning Guardian; none of the two seemed do be happy, and Lambo kept staring at them while he put on a t-shirt. In the end, the woman untangled her arms and shook her head, while Reborn's shoulder relaxed. While they were going back to the table, Reborn lifted his gaze and smiled at Lambo, who shamelessly blushed before getting back into his room.  
-Can we go or you also want to jerk yourself off?- Belphegor asked, and Lambo jumped. He hadn't heard him coming into the room.  
-Bel senpai, I still don't understand why did we have to wait for him. I told you it would have taken him a lifetime... and I'm hungry.- Fran said, from his place on the still undone bed.  
-Told you, Froggy, I want to be sure he acts as the Prince likes. Ushishishishishi.  
-Well, then...- Lambo said, putting on a pair of comfortable Vans shoes, -Don't look too close while Reborn's around, you could see thing that human mind just...  
-See how much the boy is bragging! By the way, I bet you're still a virgin!- Belphegor joked, while they walked towards the garden. The chat lasted until they reached the table, while Lambo's face kept getting redder and redder.  
-VOI! It was about time!- Squalo yelled, -How come the ones who slept are also the one who are late?  
-Well...- Lambo muttered.  
-I was... uhm... counting the hairs on my arms.- Fran improvised.  
-Fran, it hurts to see you trying to lie.- Lambo stated.  
-By the way,- Belphegor said, -I haven't slept much more than you others.- he heavily sat on a chair, -More, if this morning you and the boss didn't fuck, it's possible that you slept way more than me.- Dino choked on his orange juice and the mysterious woman seemed to have something going sideways on her throat. She blushed, drank a huge glass of water and started to breathe again.  
-Oh, so that's why you only eat sliced fruit,- Levi joked, -Because of the choking hazard, like with children. Lambo, Fran, this is Viola Bovino.  
-Ciao, pleased to meet you!- the woman said, smiling, then she said: -By the way, yes, security comes first.  
-...said the one who infiltrated at Incognito Mansion with no back plan.- Dino underlined.  
-Calculated risk. The smarter of that bunch has the I.Q. of a slipper.- Levi laughed way too loud and the woman gave him a dirty look.  
Lambo turned towards Fran, who after the clever lie about the hairs on his arms had been silent as a tomb, while in normal conditions he would have already started bombarding the stranger with nosy questions. The illusionist's face was distorted in a strange expression, in the middle between suspicious and confused, and Lambo elbowed him: -Hey, what's up?  
-What? Oh, nothing. What's there to eat?  
-French toasts for everyone!- Lussuria chirped, appearing behind him with a waiter cart.  
-Lussuria, I think I'm in love with you.- Dino declared.  
-If you give me a raise, I swear I won't tell Kyoya.- Viola said, then she posed as a tough man and said in a rough voice: -And about you, Lussuria, did it hurt when you fell from Heaven?- Lussuria laughed and put in front of her a warm French toast.  
-Are you saying I'm an angel or a demon?- he asked.  
-Philologically speaking, a demon.- Levi said.  
-Levi, don't say long words before breakfast,- Fran said, -You know it gets Bel nervous.  
-Anyway, that's the lamest pick-up line I have ever heard.- Squalo commented.  
-That's because you never heard “Hey, are your parents artists? Because you're a masterpiece.”- Dino replied. Xanxus growled from the back of his throat and Belphegor pretended to puke into a fruit plate.  
-Someone once told me the one about Heaven.- Lambo said, surprising himself. Growing up he had developed a shyness towards strangers that was some kind of a retaliation if compared to his childish expansiveness, but he felt strangely nervous and wanted to begin a conversation with that woman.  
-Yeah?- Reborn asked, with flaming eyes, -And who did?  
-Some chick at school. But then she added “you know, because your face is a damn mess”.  
-And then I bet you cried.- Belphegor joked. Lambo blushed.  
-Well, I've been told the artists' one.- Viola said, looking at him, -But they pointed out “cubist masterpiece”.  
-And then I bet you cried.- Dino joked. Viola threw a blueberry at him.  
-I knew the one that went “I'm going to the police to report you for stealing my heart”.- Levi said, and the sentence sounded even more stupid in his dark voice, -But the girl must have misunderstood the whole thing, because she talked about sexual harassment, and then she actually called the police.  
-And then I bet you...- said Lussuria, then he waved a hand, -Oh, nevermind, you probably made a massacre.- everyone laughed.  
-Bravo, uncle Levi, keep up with the Famiglia's virility, you represent us all.- Viola declared.  
-VOI! Lambo, sit that ass down, you're making me tired.- Squalo yelled. Lambo realized he was the only one standing, and also saw that the only place left was beside Viola. He sat in silence, in a recrudescence of shyness, and the woman passed him the grapes: -How did you...?  
-Knowledge is power.- she answered. Dino started repeating the last word in a bad imitation of Prince John from Disney's Robin Hood until Squalo didn't throw a fork at him to shut him up; meanwhile, Lambo noticed that Reborn and Viola had exchanged glances.  
-Do... do you know each other?- he asked, pointing at the two of them.  
-Since when I was a kid.- Viola answered, then she sighed: -Twenty odd years trying to kill you, and now I'm forced to fight at your side. The things I do for Dino... I'd really deserve that raise.- Reborn smirked and said: -Yes. Yes, I think you deserve it.  
-Oh, shit, he's a clone.- Dino commented, then he raised his hands: Reborn was pointing his gun at him. Squalo shook his head in resignation: -VOI. You never change.  
-Shall we go down to business, now?- Xanxus snarled, putting down his knife and fork on his empty plate. Lambo had the time to think that dining with Xanxus was like dining whit the Queen: when he's done eating, everyone else has to be as well. Then, Xanxus asked: -How long until they notice your absence?  
-Six days.- Viola said. Levi frowned: -A very precise estimation.  
-Mirko doesn't want me around if he can't...- she blushed, -Anyway, that's six days. More, if I come back there and go on with the show.  
-No, you don't.- Lambo blurted, smashing his fork on the plate. He had understood how Viola had gotten in, and the perspective of her having to repeat the experience disgusted him: -You won't come back there. Six days are enough. We'll make it enough. Can we?  
-Tsuna and the others are arriving tonight.- Reborn said, wiping his mouth with a napkin, -If we don't waste time and start coordinating tomorrow, six days are enough. And there are storms coming, according to the weather forecast.  
-Squalo,- Xanxus called, -Are there any urgent things to deal with or you can start organizing the Assault Squads today?  
-Nothing urgent, I made sure everything was ready for any sudden mission.- Squalo answered.  
-I'm checking a few things with the service personnel, be right back.- Lussuria said, then he got up and disappeared inside the mansion.  
-Good. Cavallone, how much time to you need to eliminate the traitors?  
-A few days. I have to think about what can I do. I have thought to make a tip-off, but I would be at risk of being arrested as well.  
-Dino.- Reborn quietly said, -You have to get rid of them. Forever.  
-Yes, I know, thank you!- Dino screamed, -And the world should be filled with sugar and spice and everything nice, but in case you didn't notice life isn't fair!  
-Dino, for Christ's sake, calm down.- Levi told him.  
-It's just because life isn't fair that it's your duty to kill them.- Reborn answered, in that unfazed voice of him that hid his homicidal instinct.  
-Romario will take care of them.- Viola declared, -We'll tell him to get them some mission at the other end of the world, so they'll be out of the radar. Then we'll decide what to do.  
-You have to kill them.- Reborn replied.  
-If the mission goes well, it may not be necessary.- Viola said. The killer stared at her and she held his glance.  
-Dino is not like you, Reborn.- Lambo whispered, -Dino is more like Tsuna nii. He can't take such a decision as if it was nothing. Allow him some time.- the killer's stare perched on him, then on Dino, then again on Lambo: -Alright.- he gave in.  
-VOI! And tell me, Reborn, when Lambo's the one asking you drop your complains right away?- a boom, and a projectile passed at less then a centimetre from Squalo's ear.  
-His argument was good.- Reborn explained, while Lambo blushed.  
-If I know Romario well,- Xanxus said, -It will take him less than eight hours. Is Viper back from her mission in Rwanda?  
-She'll be back tomorrow.- Squalo readily answered.  
-Good, she'll be able to organize the Mist Squad. Fran, you'll take care of the paperwork today.  
-Can't I substitute Viper for a preliminary meeting?- he whined.  
-If I happen to pass by and I catch you encouraging them with the song “I'll Make a Man Out Of You”, I swear you'll find yourself with one more asshole.  
-I'll go with the paperwork, ok, message received.- Fran said sadly.  
-Ushishishishi.- Belphegor commented.  
-VOI! Here's Romario.- Squalo said, looking at the front gate, where a black car had just stopped. He got up, leaning at the table with both hands, and Fran commented: -That's a ring, isn't it?  
-Mind your fucking business, Brat.- Xanxus replied, slightly blushing. Dino giggled.  
-Boss, are you ready to go home?- Romario asked, getting closer.  
-Tell him now, Dino.- Reborn said. Romario stared at his boss, confused, then he looked at Reborn.  
-Ro, it's... how did Xanxus said, it was cool?- Viola said, -Oh, yeah, trimming time.- Romario frowned.  
-Names.- he stated.  
-Romario, don't kill them.- Dino said, -I'm sure we can deal with it in some other way.  
-We thought about sending them to Nowhere Land, -Viola said, -We keep them away and then we see what we can do. Dino, why don't you pack up?- the blonde looked at her for long, then he gave in and went to the house.  
-Vi, names.- Romario repeated.  
-The list is in my bag.  
-Go take it, you won't be coming back home. Xanxus, may she stay here?  
-No, wait, wha...- Viola began, but Xanxus interrupted her: -She can stay.  
-If you come home, someone could see you and talk.- Romario said, calm as the Rain he was, -You'll fuck everything up.  
-I'll get you the list.- Viola murmured, then she got up.  
-What will you do to the traitors, Romario?- Reborn asked.  
-I'll send them away and there they'll have some accidents. No one's gonna come back.- Lambo stared at him, horrified, while Reborn nodded, signalling his approval.  
-Don't you make that face, brat.- Xanxus snarled, -If someone was to betray the Vongolas, would you risk Sawada's life? What would you do, would you let them live?- Lambo hesitated. Then, he whispered a tiny: -No. I couldn't.  
-It's a cruel world, Lambo.- Reborn said, -But Tsuna and Dino are fighting to change it for the better. Believe in them. Fight.- Romario sat on the chair Dino had set free and said: -The Ninth Boss of the Cavallone was like Dino, too. At the time, I was too young to force him to fight, and he was too weak to do it. And he's dead. Dino knows that in some cases you can't avoid a fight. He throws himself in the battle field with a heavy heart, of course, but he does. His father was different. Things will change, you'll see.  
-VOI! To hell with these sloppy chats!- Squalo commented.  
-Yep, that's a ring.- Fran said. Squalo opened his mouth, but for once he didn't seem to find any good comeback to yell at him. Belphegor replied for him: -Ushishishishi.  
-Xanxus, can the Vongolas use Varia Mansion as a base?- Reborn asked, -At the Cavallone's they could be seen, and at that point we could wave the surprise effect goodbye.  
-You have to talk with Viper, know that she will ask you to pay the rent.- Xanxus growled, clearly not really happy to have Sawada and company at home. Lambo felt his heart jump in his chest: he would be soon meeting his family, and he hadn't forgotten that their last contact was not really pleasant and educated.  
-She won't dare.- Reborn replied to Xanxus.  
-Don't count on it.- Xanxus smirked. Levi got up and disappeared in the mansion without a word; Lussuria took his place and stated: -Everything is set. I told the service personnel to take care of everything, so I can direct the Sun Squad full time.  
-Good. Tell those idiots that...-Xanxus began, but Lussuria interrupted him with a wave of his hand: -Yeah, yeah, you like blood dripping fillets, they know.  
-Good.- Xanxus growled, then silence fell. Fran seemed to be thoughtful again, and Lambo took a mental note to ask him what was wrong. A part of his mind was vaguely aware that this was only a mere tentative to avoid all the other thoughts that were going on in his mind, but he gladly took advantage of his own escamotage: he was confused about Reborn, who that day seemed to be uneasy, and confused about Viola, who he perceived as a long lost loved one. They probably were related, somehow, but he didn't dare to ask her anything: if he had found out, as he suspected, that his parents had willingly abandoned him, he didn't think he could stand it. And if they were still alive, for sure he would have had the temptation to look for them and ask them why did they send him to Japan with the instruction to kill Reborn. At the time he was a little child no more than five years old, and giving such a mission to a baby was something that went over any given logic. It almost seemed like a conscious killing attempt towards him, and the perspective that his own parents had decided to do such a thing to him made him feel so chilly that he wished he was dead for good.  
Viola came back and gave a sheet to Romario, without speaking. She was clearly unease at the idea of staying at Varia Mansion, and Lambo would have wanted to comfort her, but he didn't know how. So, he just gave her the fruit plate. She smiled at him and took a grape berry; she bit into him and ate it in two pieces. Lambo widened his eyes, but before he could ask her anything a bunch of sheets as high as a dictionary suddenly landed in front of her; she jumped and blurted: -THE FUCK!  
-I still don't have the capacity of being in two places at the same time,- Levi said, -I can't deal with both the Lightning Squad and Lambo, so you'll take care of his training.  
-Yes, captain, my captain, thank you for asking my opinion. What's this crap?  
-The results of our training until now. So you can get started.  
-Ah. How thoughtful of you.- Viola touched the sheets with her thumb, then said: -I'll secure this.- Levi nodded without catching the sarcasm and went away, muttering something about the assault squads that were on their way. Viola bent towards Lambo, with a hand in front of her mouth to be heard by him only and said: -I suck as a teacher. And I don't want to read all this stuff. Are you able to keep the electricity still in one place for a while?  
-Yes, I managed to, a few times.- Lambo answered, his heart jumping.  
-Good. I'm gonna teach you the Kamehameha.  
-The one from DragonBall? Cool!- Viola winked, then said: -Similar. At least, I like to call it so. Romario! I'm going to check if Dino has fallen into the toilet or what, keep me up with everything.  
-Alright, Vi. Be patient.  
-Yes, daddy.- Viola rolled her eyed and went to the house. Out of the blue, Fran got up and declared: -I have to take a dump!  
-VOI, thank you for the info!- Squalo yelled at him, but Fran was already far. Lambo followed him with his eyes, then looked at Reborn. The killer was looking at the illusionist with a worried expression.

-I know who you are.- Fran said. Viola jumped and turned around, wiping a tear from her eye. The illusionist was standing a few steps behind her and looked at her with a tiny streak of anger darkening his usually expressionless eyes, his arms along his sides and his fists closed.  
-Please, don't tell him.  
-You have to tell him!- Fran replied.  
-And if I do now? Do you think he can fight alongside with me?- Fran shut up and Viola got closer: -My first duty is to protect him. He's been taken away from me and I will get him back. But first of all, I must protect him at any cost. If that's the case, with my own life.  
-I won't tell.- Fran eventually said, then he watched her run towards Dino, asking himself if he was in the right to keep the secret of her identity.


	8. Howl at the Thunder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lambo takes courage.  
> Reborn doesn't.  
> Something happens, and the battle is now even closer.

-Kame... hame... HA!- Lambo yelled, and the last oak left to be put down exploded with a roar.  
-Alright, that's enough for today!- Viola decided. They had spent the day using the electricity to form ball lightnings and then throw them, and if Lambo had promptly understood how to do it, they couldn't say the same about his quickness: maybe because Goku tended to keep his Kamehameha for half an episode, Viola had knocked him out a dozen times before he managed to say the formula quickly enough: even if he knew it was useless and that it wasn't a real Kamehameha, it seemed to him it was right to say it as a tribute to his favourite anime. After understanding how much did it take him to create the globe, he had finally begun to be faster, and in the afternoon they had started working on the power: the risk of taking down the house was high, and Xanxus had had the clever idea of making them take down a few dozen oaks that had died one year prior after an insect invasion.  
Lambo fell to the ground, exhausted, and asked: -Do you think Viper will make us a discount if I tell her that I took down the trees for free?- Viola got closer and took his hand to help him get up.  
-I think that if you tell her, she'll make you pay for the disposal of the wood.- she answered. Lambo giggled and got up, lost his balance and she held him up. The embarrassment that Lambo had already started to feel disappeared at the contact with her warm breasts, and the boy managed to say: -Oh! I'm sorry!  
-I've been knowing Dino Cavallone for my whole life, I'm used to clumsy boys. Shall we go to eat?  
-Yes! Before I get the temptation to eat you raw!- Lambo cheered. Lussuria had announced that for the whole training time he would have had the food organized in buffets, so that the various squads could be independent the ones from the others: no one would waste precious time waiting for the others, and food would always be at hand for everyone.  
-To make a good tartare you should have also eggs and parsley.- Viola corrected him, gently smiling, while they walked side by side towards the dining room.  
-I was thinking at something more simple, like carpaccio...  
-With no parmesan and no lemon? Where did you grow up, with wolves?  
-With the Vongolas. Believe me, you don't want to know what they mean in Japan with “Pasta al sugo”  
-No, I'm sure I don't want to. Junk food is ok, but some things cannot be prepared wro... oh, no!- Viola stopped abruptly on the doorstep of the dining room. The buffet table was almost empty, there were only some sad sandwiches, crisps, marmalade and a few more inedible things.  
-If we go to Lussuria, I'm sure he'll find us something to eat...- Lambo said, on the verge of the tears: he was tired and hungry and confused and...  
-I'm not making one step more.- Viola decided, then as if she hadn't just finished arguing about quality food she spread some strawberry marmalade on a crisp.  
-Ew.- Lambo commented, grabbing a sandwich. It looked like the food version of depression, but it was still better than that crap.  
-Guuuyyys!- Lussuria chirped from the door, -The roast will be ready in a few minutes, don't worry! Oh, but I see that there still was some ketchup!  
-No, it's jam.- Viola said, -Want some?  
-For God's sake, no.  
-Yare, yare...- Lambo commented, shaking his head, -I always said that women are kittens with strange stomachs.- Viola looked at him, puzzled, and he felt a chill. Lussuria burst into his iconic laugh.  
-Ehm... no... no offence...- Lambo added, shyly, and Viola shrugged. She took another crisp: -I swear I'm trying to get offended, but the more I think about it, the more it seems appropriate.  
-Explain, Lambo!- Lussuria said, biting on a sandwich, -With all this precious knowledge about women, you had to go with a man instead? If I don't remember bad, you've been with some chicks before, so...  
-Well, you know...- Lambo interrupted him before losing his courage. He anxiously looked at Viola, who was spreading jam on the crisp and his heart jumped in his chest: -You can't hide your love or your cough.- he finished.  
-Ah, holy words!- Lussuria commented, raising his hands. Viola was still looking at her questionable snack, but she had blushed and her eyes were wide open.  
-Well, if there's more food coming I think I'll take a shower before dinner. Save something for me!- Lambo said. By now sure of what he had guessed, he got closer to Viola and added: -Thank you for today's training... Mum.- before she could answer, Lambo kissed her cheek and ran away before he could start to cry.

He ran to his room, but couldn't manage to throw himself on the bed: it was already taken. He crushed with violence against the person sitting on it, who huffed for the hit.  
-Lambo, what's wrong?- Reborn asked, trying to keep his sweaty and rebel body in his arms: the boy was agitated as he had never seen him, and an old remain of his loss of control was already emerging.  
-Here, here... it's ok.- Reborn said then, trapping him in a strong grip. He felt him breathing deep for many times, and finally the sparks running over his skin started to merge to his horns, which he still hadn't took off, and they went off in there. Reborn gently caressed his head, in long, delicate touches that seemed to calm Lambo down little by little. After a while, the boy asked one only, sharp question: -Is Viola Bovino my mother?- Reborn thought about the answer. He supposed that if Lambo was so in distress, probably something happened to make him sure of it, so he eventually answered: -Yes, she is.- Lambo burst into tears, and it took a long time before he could manage to speak again.  
Without caring about Lambo being still sweaty and stinky for the intense day of training, Reborn held him closer and laid down with him. While Lambo tried to gain back some control, the killer asked himself if the hatred he had always shown towards his crying fits wasn't nothing but his own mind trying to convince him that there was no such thing as a blossoming feeling; now that he had Lambo in his arms and was listening to the heart-throbbing jumps of his desperation, it seemed to him that his hardened heart was breaking, too.  
He realized it was so: his long habit to erase any kind of feeling from himself was by then nothing but an automatic reflex. It couldn't be nothing but this, for a Mafia killer. But since he had stumbled upon him, he had discovered that Lambo seemed to know by heart how to break his defence, how to tear down his walls and turn them into dust. He felt like butter, in his arms, warm and malleable butter; he felt him shoving his fingers in his flesh while he grabbed him as a dying man, and he allowed himself to taste that unusual symptom of humanity.  
-I'm not the right person to tell you everything, Lambo.- he eventually said, trying to understand some of the unclear words the boy was trying to mutter, -But I can tell you this: she didn't abandon you. You have been taken away from her. She loves you, she has been loving you every day of her life.- Lambo didn't answer, but he cocooned in a fetal position against Reborn's chest.  
Oh, how he wanted to tell him everything.  
He wanted to take him by his shoulders, sit down with him and calmly discuss the matter, explain to him what happened.  
About Levi, who was the first to notice the strangeness of a young man going around believing that he went by a name that is nothing more than a family nickname.  
About Enrico Bovino, who had gone with the strangeness of that toddler, appeared from nowhere, who claimed he wanted to kill Reborn, and had sent him in Japan to get himself free from him.  
About Viola, who had gone to the kindergarten on a clear autumn day only to be told that his son had been already picked up by his grandfather: the same grandpa who had washed his hands of her as soon as he found out she was pregnant and left her to carry on somehow, working in a vineyard in Franciacorta.  
Of the Bovino's dangerous games with timelines, and their leaving the tiny Boss' grandson to wander around, testing him and looking at his premature Lightning Flames, while ignoring his requests to see his Mum. They had let him go around everywhere, even in the Time Room, where they kept their Ten Years Bazookas, some Time Bomb with reversed trigger and a prototype that would be destroyed soon later.  
But Reborn couldn't lay claim on the right to speak. He could have, if Lambo had been an orphan: he would have told him who his parents were, and why he had ended up being fostered by a very naïve mum and by a bunch of teenagers.  
But his mother was alive and in their same building, and his father was alive as well, even if he was oblivious of the whole thing; as much as Reborn had been, at least until twenty four hours before, when Levi had told him everything. The false letter that Enrico Bovino had given Viola had almost made him snap: that man had hidden himself behind Reborn, stating that the killer was the one who wanted Viola to be thrown out of the Family, and that the child's father didn't want anything to do with her or with the still unborn baby. All of this just because Viola had had the kindness to say she didn't want to marry said man, knowing that he didn't love her and that what they had was just a brief, even if intense, summer intercourse. But no good act stays unpunished, and for the following years Viola had had to live day by day, with the help of a nunnery; the nuns had welcomed her, took care of her until she birthed the child, then they had found them a small apartment and a job for her.

Reborn stayed quiet for a while, just caressing Lambo's head and shoulders, until the boy finished his tears. He was starting to calm down himself, and he was feeling so drowsy that his eyelids were already closing. Then, Lambo abruptly stood up, waking Reborn up from his unexpected nap: -What's that now?- the killer asked, immediately alert.  
-Reborn, I'm stinky! Yare, yare, what a shame...- Lambo sniffed his armpit, put on a terrified expression and went: -Ga... ma...- Reborn interrupted him with a kiss. Lambo fought against it for a while, then he surrendered to the irresistible charm of the killer.  
He found himself somehow lying on the bed, on his back, while Reborn was between his spread thighs and was brushing his leg against his crotch, pushing against his testicles almost enough to drive him on the verge of an orgasm.  
-Re... bo... rn... ple... a... se... I'm... asha... me... ah!- Lambo blabbered, then he realized that he was participating too: he was clutching at Reborn's ass and pulling him closer against himself, enhancing his movements.  
-You're ashamed, huh?- Reborn said in a voice that would have melted the Gran Sasso glacier, -So, let's see how we can mend it.  
-W... wh... what?- Reborn easily set himself free from Lambo's grip, then he pulled him to get him standing, grabbing his t-shirt. He took it off and got closer, taking in a deep breath: the masculine scent of Lambo, that was dominating without erasing on his usual smell of milk and warm wool, was intensely arousing. Reborn licked his jawline, tasting the bitter, salted flavour of his sweat, and Lambo shivered; without dividing his lips from the boy's skin, Reborn took off his dress shirt and his trousers, then took off Lambo's as well. The boy was by now just a shiver.  
He pushed him towards the bathroom and opened the water in the shower, then turned around on purpose with the excuse of checking the temperature of the water, to show him his behind. When he turned around, Lambo was half collapsed against the commode, his knees were trembling so much he couldn't stand up and his erection towered from a nest of black, curly hairs, that created a testy contrast with his skin. Then, Reborn had the unhappy idea to turn around again and turn on the light; Lambo abruptly held his breath: -Reborn... your back...  
-Wha... oh, yeah.- the scars had been there for so long that Reborn had forgotten about them. Gunshots, cuts, surgical operations... they were so many he had lost count of them.  
-Did... Did I cause this one?- Lambo asked, in a trembling voice.  
-Which one?- Reborn asked, turning around to look at his back in the mirror. Interrupted lines, like the one that a sudden lightning bolt can leave on the cornea, started from behind his shoulder blade to branch towards his sides. Reborn, thoughtful, answered: -It could be.  
-I'm... I'm sorry.- Lambo said. Looking at him, Reborn noticed that he already seemed about to cry again. He took him by the shoulders and pushed him in the shower, without replying, bur as soon as they were under the warm water he held him close and kissed him; he almost felt like he was feeding on his innocence, on his splendid pureness that still hadn't been stained by the often senseless violence of the Mafia world. When he was a child, Lambo used to be violent, but first of all he wasn't a real menace, and moreover he seemed to take everything as a game. Of course, his plan to kill Reborn was honest, but that could be said about any other kid of his age who somehow get in conflict with some companion at school.  
While Lambo let out a moan at the contact of his skin against Reborn's, the killer felt his own virility getting harder. Lambo's pubic hair tickled his glans, tucking themselves under his foreskin and causing him some sort of itch that only gave him the urge to find a very creative way to scratch. He brushed Lambo's back with his fingertips, without interrupting the duel of their tongues; he got to the curve of his tailbone, pronounced and almost feminine, and went down on, spreading his cheeks delicately. Lambo jumped and interrupted the kiss with an accidental smack that was almost comical, then he let out an embarrassed giggle: -I'm sorry... I never did... I mean, I did it with some girls, but with a man... I never even thought that far.  
-You want me to believe you never imagined having sex with me?- Reborn lasciviously whispered in his ear, then he bit the lobe and licked it.  
-No, I... for real, I didn't.- Lambo answered, and his voice was so sincere that Reborn stepped back and looked at him. He didn't speak, leaving to his face the task of asking the question. Lambo blushed and leaned back against the wall, then he said: -I... I never dared. I sometimes imagined to...- he violently blushed, so much that there were tears in his eye, -To suck it,- he whispered, -Do you want me to do it?- Reborn stared at him, astonished. He needed to think, but he had to do it quickly. He tried to gain some time: deaf to Lambo's embarrassed protests, he took the shower gel and the sponge and started to soap up his skin. He hugged him from behind, massaged him with care and caution and rested his head on his shoulder, hating himself when he realized that he had been hesitating for a while, slowly moving the sponge up and down his erection. Lambo was quietly moaning in his hold, and his fingers entangled to those of Reborn's free hand, that had nested itself on the barely lined abdomen of the boy.  
Lambo came with a small jump, and his semen ran down Reborn's waist, warmer than the water that was showering them. Then, the boy turned around and asked: -Can I give back the favour?- without waiting for an answer, he kneeled in front of Reborn; the latter had no time to react and, before he could realize, his virility had sunken in Lambo's mouth, and the fissure on his glans was being tortured by the tip of his tongue. Reborn huffed from his nostrils, then he managed to gain back some kind of mental composture: he pushed Lambo away, and he looked at him, who was shielding his face with one hand from the water: -You... you don't like it?  
-I like it, Lambo, I like it like crazy. I like you like crazy, but... we can't.  
-What...?  
-Lambo, forgive me. Or don't, do as you prefer. But I... I gotta go.- without saying anything else, Reborn got out of the shower, put on his clothes without even getting dry and ran away from Lambo's room, hating himself for what he was and what he had done.  
He broke into his own room and slammed the door, ignoring the awful mess of Varia Mansion; without stopping to think about it, he ran to the bathroom, threw himself in the shower without waiting for the water to warm up and started to masturbate. His private bathroom confined with Lambo's, and from behind the wall he could hear him sobbing desperately; biting a lip to avoid a scream to come out, he reached his climax while imagining to have the possibility of loving him without fear, to lie with him beneath soft blankets and share with him a basket of fruit and sweets, with nothing to worry about apart from satisfying each other. He painfully ejaculated, remembering the suffering and involuntarily sensual voice that Lambo had used when he said he loved him for the first time.

Lambo was trying to gain back his composure. While he picked up the pieces of who he was from the shower, getting up without having the desire to, he said to himself that in moments like these he would have loved to have a mum, to run to her and be consoled, but... -Lambo, you're an idiot.- he said to his own reflection. Reinvigorated enough to get up and put on some clothes, he took courage and went to the last place where he had seen Viola, but the dining room was empty; he looked around, searching for something to tell him where was she. Fran ran out of the kitchen, followed by Belphegor: -Hey, Fran...- Lambo called him.  
-Lambo, I gotta go, sorry, urgent mission. Bel senpai, let's go!  
-Ushishishishishi, don't give orders to the Prince.  
-Have you seen Viola?- Lambo asked. Fran hesitated, but he just didn't have time: -In the kitchen.  
-Thank you! Good luck!- Lambo yelled, without knowing if the illusionist could still hear him. He headed to the kitchen and was almost decapitated by Squalo, who was coming out of the door: -VOI! Look where you're going, brat!  
-Sorry.- Lambo looked at him, but the man went away before he could ask him if he was ok. Squalo was paler than usual and looked very tired. Lambo shrugged and went into the kitchen, then froze: Viola was sitting at the kitchen table and her face was buried in Lussuria's jacket; the man was standing in front of her and was holding her head against himself; it took a while for Lambo to remember that Lussuria was very homosexual and to realize that Viola's shoulders were jumping, as if she was crying.  
-What happened?- he asked, and noticed that Viola was trying to force herself to calm down. With a heavy heart, he remembered the times when Nana Sawada missed Iemitsu and the children caught her crying: she quickly wiped her tears and put on a fake smile, and they pretended to believe it. But Big Mama Luss wasn't going to let Viola do the same, it seemed, because he steadily held her in place.  
-We were watching the news,- the man explained, in an unusually serious tone, -And they spoke about the hostel where Viola was staying. Someone destroyed it.  
-Oh, no!- Lambo said, honestly hit by the news. Lussuria gestured him to come closer, a heavy smile on his face, -Those good people didn't deserve to die.- he added, to clarify the matter. Lambo jumped: the only thing that had crossed his mind was that their cover was blown up. He distraughtly asked himself if he wasn't starting to become one of those horrible, hardened hearted mafioso like Reborn was.  
He took a step further, trembling, then asked: -That's where Fran and Belphegor are going?  
-Yes. Fran will create a corpse and will have everyone recognise it as Viola's. Belphegor will put up a scene to make everyone believe that Dino sent him to look for her.  
-I won't last long.- Lambo said, looking at Viola's curly head and her hands, that had pushed themselves between her face and Lussuria's abdomen and were wiping her cheeks.  
-It won't. But the forecast says that the day after tomorrow there will be a storm over Livorno. We'll attack then.- Lambo nodded, distracted. He had gone there to be consoled, but now his needs were pushed behind. Lussuria said: -I need to go and talk with Viper, who arrived an hour ago, and with the Sun Squad. Take care of Viola, will you?  
-I... of course.- Lambo took a chair and sat at her side. Without waiting or asking for permission, he took her by her shoulders and held her tight. They stayed there, hugging one another, crying all the tears they had left, and Lambo vaguely thought that even pain seemed to be sweeter when a mother holds you.  
None of the two noticed the arrive of the Vongolas, but one of them saw them while passing by.  
And, in the brief moment before Squalo pushed them towards the residential area, he recognized both.


	9. Live Wire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the author presents the readers with her craziest headcanon.  
> Oh, and Lambo is pretty damn pissed, and Squalo is still looking very tired.

-Lambo.- Squalo's voice called from the doorstep; it was unusually low, and when Lambo turned towards him he noticed that the man seemed to be profoundly tired.

-Your Family has arrived.- the swordsman announced, then he left. Lambo got up from the chair, trying to regain his composure, and Viola did the same. The boy looked at her: the woman was pale, except for two patches of unhealthy red on her cheeks.

-I have to... I have to greet them.- Lambo said, embarrassed, -Do you wanna come with me?

-I'll come later,- she answered with a tired smile, -I think I need a drink first.- Lambo nodded and walked away, his heart beating fast in his chest. The stress was so heavy that it seemed to him not to feel anything at all: just a few hours before he was anxious at the thought of meeting Tsuna and the others, shocked by the certainty of having found his mother, curious to know what was going to happen, destroyed by the break up with Reborn, and now he could only feel empty. Empty and mortally tired.

  
  


“ _I'm an eejit!”_ _the_ _young man cried out, whining. He was lying supine on the floor, a frozen bottle of vodka in his hand, slightly annoyed by the tickle of the curly hair on the head of the woman that had her head next to his and even more by the sudden heat wave that had hit Italy at the end of August, unexpected after an almost good summer, with much rain and temperatures under 35 Celsius degrees._

 _“Yeahhh...” the girl answered_ , _in the tone of someone who agrees with someone else who said something obvious and incontestable, “This time why? Gimme the bottle.” the man took another sip, then gave it to her. He said: “Becaushe I will neeever be with him.”_

 _“At leasht -hic- the man you love ish_ _alive.” she replied, then put a hand on her belly to calm her hiccups. That guy, one of the Vongola, had arrived from Japan a few months prior to take care of the relationship with the Bovino Family. Given the careless temper of the latests, the thing had turned up to be a few random parties and a lot of boring afternoons spent playing Risiko with the Boss' daughter, who had approached him because she wanted to get better with Japanese, language that she was studying. The man had soon understood that they could get along: she answered boldly at his mocking, she didn't seem to take offence and after a while they had found themselves to trust each other and to confess each other their (not mutual) feelings._

_That was the last night he was spending in Italy, and both of them had agreed that it was perfect to get shit-faced drunk: it seemed the right thing to do, after he had confessed his hopeless love for a man and she had admitted to be in misery after the loss of his fiancé, killed by the Incognito Famiglia six months before._

_“We could conshole eash other” the man said, without having had the_ i _ntention to say it._

_“Don't be shtupid,” she answered, “You like the D.”_

_“Dooo I look like a bottom? A hole is a hole”_

_“Shooo charming. I dunno how I can reshisht.” the man grabbed by her hair, forcing her to look at him, and shoved his tongue in her mouth. She tasted like vodka and pizza, and despite her verbal protest it didn't take her long to respond to the kiss._

_One flash later, they were both missing their clothes, and the man was brushing a powerful erection against her thigh. In a struggling Japanese, the woman said: “Watashi no naka ni o hairi, kudasai. Yasashikushite.”_

_-Hai.- the man answered, and she slowly lowered herself on him. He was gentle, as she had asked, she wasn't; they loved each other with the desperation of two kids lost in the woods, holding on to each other. She cried, he jokingly mocked her and wiped her tears, and the morning after they woke up, still naked, still on the floor, both covered with a tiny film of sweat that had dried up on their skin._

Lambo was moved by the hugs he received: after all, they actually seemed to have missed him. He had to push Gokudera away, no less, because he had trapped him in what looked more like a wrestling grip then a friendly embrace. Lambo looked around, astonished and unable to speak: he didn't know where to start, which question to answer first, and in the end he decided to squeeze I-Pin in a bone-crushing hug, to which she responded with a kick on his leg.

Happy to have something to do, Lambo began to complain, raising Gokudera's mocking and Tsuna's praise for everyone to calm down, and he managed to ignore Reborn pretty well; after a while, he saw with the corner of his eye that the killer was leaving the room, and he finally gained the calm he needed to start answering some questions.

  
  


-Can you tell me what's his problem?- Viola asked Reborn; she had signalled him to come nearer, in the corridor, and he had gladly compelled, just because the invitation was a perfect excuse to take Lambo out of his sighting range: maybe, not looking at him would have soothed that pain that was taking over his chest. But Viola's question brought him back to earth: -What do you mean?

-He came to me in the kitchen and drowned himself in his own tears. The hell did happen?

-He found out who you are.

-I got it, he called me “Mum”. Did you tell him something?

-Just that you didn't abandon him.- Viola gave him a dirty look and Reborn suppressed a shiver: he knew for experience that women could become very dangerous when it came to their child's health or happiness. And Viola had years to gain back. And Reborn's explanation was nothing but a goofy way to avoid the discussion: he well knew why Lambo was crying.

-You dumped him, didn't you? You piece of shit.- Viola said in a menacing hiss. Reborn sighed: -I'm the Mafia's most rated killer. If someone was to find out how much Lambo means to me, he would be an easy target.

-Do you think he cares? Christ, he loves you, I can read it on his face!

-Yes, I know. And I love him, alright? If someone hurt him because of me I could never forgive myself. Are you satisfied?- Reborn blurted. Viola stayed silent and the killer looked away, pretending to be very interested in a Napoleonic piece of furniture. He vaguely asked himself how came that at Villa Varia there were embroidered doilies on every surface, then he realized that since no one else cared Lussuria could do what he wanted when it came to interior design.

-It will change.- Viola said.

-What?

-The world. It will change. Dino and Sawada will change it.

-I know.- Reborn answered, finding himself impatient to fix the matter with the Incognito, -But in the meanwhile...

-In the meanwhile you should explain to him how thing are.

-You too have something to explain to someone, am I right?- Reborn asked, without exactly replying to her statement.

-Don't flip the script, I know it.- Viola murmured.

-I'm calling Tsuna for you.- Reborn said, -Wait for him in the meeting room.

  
  


-Tsuna. There's someone who needs to talk to you.- Reborn murmured, trying to ignore Lambo who was telling Yamamoto, Ryohei and Gokudera a long story involving a television, Fran and the dvd of the movie “Jaws”.

-Iiieeeh! Please tell me it's not Xanxus!- Tsuna whined. The idea of meeting that terrifying man after a long flight and with the perspective of an incoming war was just too much for his mind to bear. Reborn smirked: -No, it's not Xanxus. Come on, let's go.

-Alright, then. Hayato?- Tsuna called, and Gokudera tuned towards him. At a gesture of his man, he left with him after making Lambo promise that he would tell him the end of the story. The boy looked at him, bewildered, then his eyes fell on Reborn; he abruptly turned his back on him to go on talking with Yamamoto. Reborn blamed himself for his unexpected lack of control: if he hadn't kissed him, that faraway afternoon a month before, they wouldn't be in that painful position of stall. Lambo would have gone on with his life and Reborn wouldn't have been so tortured. Ryohei yelled: -EXTREME!!! we have to do it too, HEY CHROME!!!- Reborn saw Lambo and Yamamoto shake their heads, giggling, and got closer.

  
  


-Uhm... Hi?- Tsuna said. The doubt in his voice was blatant: he was facing a young woman about his age, with curly hair and hazel eyes. He knew he had seen her already somewhere, but he couldn't connect her face to a name.

Gokudera was way less politically correct: -What are you doing here?

-Work, Hayato, like you. Or you forgot I'm the Cavallone's Lightning Guardian?

-Oh!- Tsuna exhaled, connecting the dots. He had heard Dino talking about her and he had seen her, in a suit and tie, in the bunch of his men when the friend went to meet him, even if Romario was the one who always stood at his side: -Uhm... Viola, am I right?

-Yes. And you must be Sawada Tsunayoshi. It's a honour.- the woman stepped forward, holding out a hand, and Tsuna shook it; he was used to the Italian ways, by now. He felt Gokudera stiffen at his side and wondered why.

-Lambo is a bit too young for you.- his right hand man said. Viola laughed bitterly: -Oh, don't worry, I'm not interested in him in that way. But I'd like to talk to you about him, if that's possible.

-Of course.- Tsuna answered. A simple caress on Gokudera's arm was enough to calm him down: -Why don't we sit down?- he suggested.

-Yes, I think it's better.- Viola whispered, then she took a deep breath and started to speak.

  
  


-Maa, maa, wouldn't it be better if we choose another movie?- Yamamoto asked, laughing, -I don't think Hibari san would be pleased if we filled Nanimori's canal with sharks.

-But it would be EXTREME!

-Why don't we use a documentary about pandas?- I-Pin suggested, -Pandas are so cute!

-Lambo.- Reborn whispered, making it so that Lambo was the only one to hear him, -I'd like to talk to you.

-Why that?- Lambo replied.

-Because I have to tell you something. It's important.- Reborn hesitated, then he added: -Please.- Lambo didn't look at him, but he moved to a corner of the room and the killer followed him.

-If Verde found out that I care about you, he will make you a target.- Reborn said, going straight to the point, -And I couldn't stand it.

-I'm old enough to...

-Please, Lambo. Give me time. Let this story be over. Then, when everything will be alright and you won't be in danger anymore, I swear we will be together.

-Yeah, I've already been said this bullshit. Thank you so much.- Lambo replied, bitterly. Who knew how many times, when his relationship with someone started to grow deeper, his significant other suddenly started to come up with excuses and asking for a trial separation... up until then, no one had still interrupted one of this so-called “trials”.

Reborn looked at him going back to the others, with his shoulder arched, and assisting without intervening to the discussion about the level of cuteness of various animals which, thanks to Chrome's illusion, could come out of a television and temporarily invade Namimori.

  
  


-Ok. This is terrible.- Tsuna said, at the end of Viola's speech. He blushed: -Well, no, I mean, I'm happy that we finally know who Lambo's parents are, but... Well, it's kind of a shock and...- he sighed, forlorn. Gokudera, with his eyes wide opened and the expression of a deer that is about to be run over by a pick-up truck, gave Viola a paper handkerchief and she used it to dry her tears.

-Why didn't the Bovino come back to pick him up?- Gokudera asked.

-Because the Time Machine broke down. It wasn't ready, and it broke. It literally exploded and took with it all the projects. So they contacted me, they told me that my son had been adopted by someone and that they were ready to welcome me back.

-Sick bastards.- Gokudera blurted. Tsuna side-eyed him, but didn't complain: he didn't agree on the use of such language, but he sure agreed with the concept.

-Did you come back to them?- he asked, instead, with care.

-Just a month ago, for a few days, when Levi asked me to investigate about this strange, powerful boy from the Bovino Family. At the time, I asked for Dino's help, but it was the wrong time.

-Five years ago... it was when the Carcassa tried to attack the Cavallone, am I right?- Tsuna asked. Viola nodded, but said no more. Tsuna told himself to ask Dino for further informations when their fight would be over, and he suddenly got hit by the realisation that they may not come out of it alive.

-Tsuna, are you alright?- Gokudera asked.

-No, I'm not. Ah, the day after tomorrow at best we will be forced to fight, it's my decision so if something goes wrong, if someone dies, it will be my fault!

-Tsuna, my love, we all know you don't want a war. But it's necessary, if we want to live in peace.- Gokudera said, hugging him.

-I know, we talked about it, but I still feel like hell about this.- Gokudera just caressed his side, not knowing what to say. Viola opened her mouth to speak, but in that very moment a loud “VOOOIII!” came from the corridor, and the three of them jumped.

-How are those psychopaths able to live like this, I just don't know.- Gokudera muttered, then he got up and Tsuna followed his example. Squalo got in, kicking the door: -If you people can courteously get the fuck out and go to their damn rooms, we have business going on here.- he announced.

-Oh, yeah, sure, sorry, please don't kill me.- Tsuna said, and Squalo rolled his eyes. At least Sawada didn't faint like the last time. He let them out, holding the door open, then got into the room followed by a silent and visibly angry Xanxus and he locked themselves in.

-Ok, let's get away from here,- Viola said, -Lussuria told me that they are together and I don't want to hear a thi...

-Voooiii, Xanxus...- a moan came from the meeting room.

-Gee, already, they must be in a hurry.- Viola commented with an embarrassed giggle.

-Iiieeeh! I didn't want to know!- Tsuna complained.

-We don't make all this noise, don't we?- Gokudera asked, his face red.

-And this is a thing that /I/ don't want to know!- Viola stated, and they all laughed. After going far enough so they could not hear everything, Tsuna looked at the woman and said: -When all of this will be over, we have to talk about this. Seriously.

-Let's first focus on the battle and get out alive. Then we'll see.- she replied.

-Maybe he won't come back to Japan.- Gokudera muttered, looking down.

-He will.- Viola answered.

-No, he won't. I've always treated him like shit, and the others too... we didn't care about him that much. He was little and annoying and... we didn't think about it! Shit!- Tsuna stayed silent. Viola opened her mouth to say something, then she seemed to change her mind and declared: -This should be the part where I tell you that I'll make you pay for every tear you made him shed. But I see that you're already paying.- she put her hands in her pockets, turned her back to them and left.

-Hey there, son!- a voice called from behind.

-Oh, hell, just what I needed...- Tsuna muttered, then turned around: -Dad! You came, too?

  
  


-Hey, Reborn! Kora!- Colonnello called, going into the room where half of the Vongola were reunited with heavy steps. Lussuria appeared behind his back and bit his own hand at the sight of all the mud the ex Arcobaleno was smearing around.

-Colonnello. Ciaossu.- the blond put his hands on his sides and looked around, like the captain of a ship that makes sure everything's alright.

-Don't tell me, you broke another heart! Kora!- he yelled. Lambo turned to face him and widened his eyes, caught.

-And don't you tell me, you still can't mind your own fucking business.- Reborn growled.

-Maa, maa, who are you talking about, Colonnello?- Yamamoto asked.

-About me.- Lambo said loud, and Reborn felt himself sink into the ground, -But don't worry, Colonnello. I don't give a shit about him and his stupid excuses.- he turned towards his fellow Guardians, turning his back to his ex lover, still frozen and dumb. Colonnello's glance wandered on Reborn's face, then he got closer and asked: -Who left who, kora?

-I left him. Come on, if it came out that I care about him it would be like painting a goddamn target on his back, Colonnello, I don't want him to risk his life because of me.

-You know,- the blond said after a while, -If I tried to tell Lal something like this she would chop my balls off, kora. Get back with him before this fucking war begins, kora.

-It's easier said than done.- Reborn said, while Lambo left the room, leaving behind a crowd of dumbfolded people. I-Pin, surprisingly, got closer to the two ex Arcobalenos and said: -I have heard what you said. You know, maybe it's for the better. If you think Lambo isn't strong enough, you haven't understood nothing at all about him.

  
  


Ten minutes later, Reborn entered into Lambo's room. The latest raised his eyes from his cellphone and said: -You know, knocking isn't a bad habit. You should consider it, sometimes.

-I've been selfish.- Reborn replied.

-Oh, really? Well, that's great news, you never stop making new discoveries, ri...

-I love you.- Reborn blurted out, and Lambo shut up. For a whole minute he seemed to consider what the killer had said, then his expression got colder: -Duly noted.- he answered, -Now, please, can you get the hell out of here? I need some sleep.

-Lambo, plea...

-Reborn. Out.- the decision in the youngster's voice was so definitive that the killer didn't dare to insist. He went out, shutting the door at his back, and in the hall he found Colonnello, leaning on the wall with his sensual nonchalance and his arms crossed in front of his chest: -Let him digest this, kora.

-Go fuck yourself, asshole.- Reborn replied, then he locked himself in his own room. With a sigh, trying to ignore the pain in his chest, he sat on the bed and took his head in his hands.

  
  


-Hayato, are you alright?- Tsuna asked, giving up on the idea of sleeping: his husband was constantly moving in the bed.

-No, like hell I'm alright.- Gokudera answered. Tsuna turned on his bedside lamp and saw that his partner had his hands on his face. At the light impulse, Gokudera lowered his hands and looked at him. He heavily said: -My father always treated me like I wasn't worthy enough for his love. And I hated him for this. But I'm worse than him. I'm scum.

-Hayato, don't say these things, it's not tr...

-Yes, it is true! How do you call someone who nicknamed “Stupid Cow” his own son?!


	10. Get Ready Cos I'm the One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dino thinks at the past.  
> Lussuria gets a joy.  
> Squalo is still looking tired.  
> Lambo makes coffee.

Dino stirred himself, on the backseat of the car that was taking him to Varia Mansion; he felt tremendously in discomfort. The sight of Viola's fake corpse had disturbed him deeply. Romario looked at him in the rear mirror, but didn't say a word. Dino closed his eyes and remembered.

-Bella, Dino.- Viola said, coming into his office. Dino, sitting on the floor with a bottle of red wine in his hand, promptly noticed that her smile was blatantly fake, and pointed to the floor next to himself: -Come here and sit down, sister, we got the whole cellar to empty.  
-What happened, Dino?- she asked, getting closer. She crouched in front of him, worried; her eyes were red and puffy, her lips dry and broken and his hair dull, even more unkempt than usual. Dino made a throat moan and said: -You first. Your face looks like hell.  
-Yours is worse, big bro.. Come on, spit it out.- maybe the last straw was that nickname, the one Dani used to call him: Dino hadn't heard it in ages, since that dreadful day when his little brother had gone out for an ice cream with his girlfriend and had come back in a coffin. Or maybe it was just the fact that Dino needed to speak with someone who wasn't blindly loyal to him like Romario was: it was nice, sometimes, to talk with someone who doesn't always say you're right but is able to tell you that you're an idiot if you act like one.  
-They stole me to the Carcassa. They're coming, they'll kill me and I won't be able to do anything because two of my Guardians are dead.  
-Oh, Christ, Dino! Who...  
-Filippo and Stefano.  
-What happened? A fight?- Viola asked. Dino looked at his brother's ex girlfriend as she sat in front of him and for a moment he understood why Dani had complied so easily to the Bovino Famiglia's marriage proposal: she wasn't exactly beautiful, but her eyes were honest and in that moment they were lightened up with sincere concern and affection. Dino drank a sip of whine, then handed the bottle to her and asked: -Do you know what happens if a Guardian betrays the Boss while he's wearing the Ring?- Viola shook her head, -If he doesn't take it off, his Flames are rejected from the Ring. And they burn the Guardian from the inside.  
-Holy Christ...- Viola murmured, then she drank.  
-So, now here I am, crying over my broken heart and waiting for death to come.- Dino dramatically finished, -What brings you in my cave?- Viola opened her mouth to speak, but in that very moment Romario got in without knocking: -Boss, we really need to do something. We're circled.  
-Let them in. Tell them where I am. I only ask to be killed quickly.  
-Dino!- Viola scolded him, -Just because two assholes...  
-THEY WERE MY DAD'S GUARDIAN! I GREW UP WITH THEM! I GREW UP WITH THEM AND NOW THEY SOLD ME!- Dino yelled. An explosion came from the southern side of the mansion, and Viola got up: -Romario, knock him out. I'll keep them busy. We'll do what we can.  
-Go away, sis, you don't owe me a thing. Come back to your child.  
-Robin has disappeared, so I have no child to come back to. And nothing else to lose.- Viola bitterly answered, then she left. Dino saw Romario getting closer, but couldn't stop him, already weakened by the wine: his Requiem of the Rain blocked him and put him to sleep.  
When he got up, he was lying on a couch in the office that had been his father's, and beside his face there were a pair of feet covered in dotted socks.  
-Rise and shine, Cavallo Pazzo.- Viola said, and Dino looked at her. She was wearing an old t-shirt of his and a pair of football shorts.  
-What happened?  
-Fritto misto di Carcassa. I needed it, I let out a bit of nervousness.- Viola answered, -Remember to hear from Reborn. Skull wasn't with them, I wonder if she ran away after my first Thunder Shock or just never showed up.  
-Why is it dark?- Dino asked, sitting up.  
-I may have gone too far and fried the house's electrical systems. Sorry.- Viola leaned at one side and filled a glass with water from a jar that was on another table; she gave it to Dino, who drank it. The heavenly flavour told him that he was under the effects of one hell of a hangover.  
-Viola, what happened to Robin?- he asked, remembering the girl's last statement.  
-I don't know. I went to the kindergarten to pick him up and the teacher told me that his grandfather had already taken him. My father said that they gave him up for adoption and that they're ready to forgive me, as it was a normal thing.- Viola shuddered, -I came here to ask you if you could help me somehow, but I see that you're going through worse problems.  
-To hell with my problems, Vi. I'll help you get back your Lambo.- Dino gently said, using the family nickname that sometimes Viola called her four-years-old son with. The girl managed to put on a tired smile, but it almost readily fell under the push of her tears. She covered her mouth with one hand; Dino took the other one and interlaced his fingers to hers.  
A slight electric shock, nothing more than a tiny tingle of static energy, went through his hand to his wrist, and then branched in little shivers along his arm and in his whole body. It was an intoxicating sensation, the light tingle of a grass leaf on the calf while you take the first barefooted step on a dewy meadow during a new spring. Viola said dreamingly: -Oh, Dino, it's so warm... so good... you taste like hope.  
-Sis, you defended the Cavallone.  
-Well, I mostly distracted the Carcassas, your men did most of the work.  
-The Lightning Guardian concentrates the damage on themselves, far from the Family. Viola, do you want to be my Lightning Guardian? I will...  
-If by life or death I can save you, I will.- Viola interrupted him. Dino felt his own Flames going out of his body, surround her, while her Flames did the same on him. Orange and green melted in each other, and Viola jumped as if she was caught with a brief, violent orgasm. Dino laid his head back, feeling comfortable, much more than when he had harmonized with Romario: he always felt some vague erotic underline in that procedure, but not with her. Maybe it was for his being homosexual, but he didn't feel uneasy at all with Viola. It was like changing clothes in the same room after a long day, without the slightest trace of malice.  
While their Flames retired, Dino said: -Can it be that you always have to say nerd quotes?  
-Congratulations for realizing, Eorlingas.- she answered, bringing on an old joke she had shared with Dani when they were both obsessed with The Lord of The Rings: the Eorlingas were the Lords of the Horses. Dino shook his head, pretending to be forlorn, and went to his desk; he opened the first drawer and took out a velvet lined wooden box. He took a green Ring out of it and threw it to Viola: -Deary me. An otaku among my ranks.  
-Look at the bright side,- she replied, taking the ring, -I can make speeches for you, copying them from all the stuff I read. Thank you, Dino.  
-I'll help you find Robin. I swear.

That was five years before, but they still couldn't find Robin. Viola had refused to come back to the Bovinos and Dino had sent Ivan there, with the excuse of finding a wife for him, but so far no luck. He only found himself in the sentimental mailing list of the Bovino Family, which enraged Kyoya quite a lot.  
Dino had taken Viola with him, giving her a place to stay and leaving her and Romario to deal with the matters that he was too weak or too good hearted to manage. For example, he was sure that none of the traitors they had discovered would come back from the missions that Romario had assigned them, and he was sure also that Viola knew it, too. Loading his friend's shoulders with his flaws made him feel guilty, but when he had confessed it she had slapped him on the back of his head saying: “Someone has to wear trousers in this Family”.  
Varia Mansion's gate opened to let the car in, and Squalo went towards them. Dino exchanged glances with Kyoya, who had spent the night at his place to avoid the lethal mix Vongola/Varia, and got off the car; he quickly ran towards Squalo and threw himself in his arms. Squalo whispered: -Please remember that Xanxus will want your head. He's not sure it was necessary.  
-It wouldn't be, if I stayed home. But I have to see her, Squalo, I must. Can you understand?- Dino released the hug and looked his old friend in the eyes. The swordsman gave in: -VOI, I do. I know how much Fran's illusions can be crude and gory. Come on in, I'll send Lambo to look for her.- Squalo put an arm over Dino's shoulders and they got into the mansion, followed shortly by Hibari. As soon as the door closed behind them, they divided: it was only a set up to trick eventual spies, who would only see a destroyed by sorrow man meeting a friend.  
-Hey, Squalo, are you alright?- Dino asked, following him.  
-VOI! Why are you all asking the same question?! I'm alright, I'm just a bit tired!  
-Are you sure you...  
-VOOOIII! LAMBO!- Squalo called loudly, making the whole house shake.

-Is it possible that no one ever calls me and then suddenly they all want me?- Lambo asked himself loudly.  
-Classic.- Fran answered, staring at a croissant and hoping it would move on his own towards his mouth. They were alone in the kitchen, not counting Belphegor who had suddenly fallen asleep at the table and was now drooling in his cereal bowl.  
-I'll go take the mail for Lussuria, if you see Squalo tell him I can't come. I have to run to the gym, Mum said that today she's gonna teach me the Elettrico Cornata on a distance!  
-Mum?- Fran asked, freezing. He wondered whether he had let some thought slip out for Lambo to catch, in the chaos and confusion of the past day.  
-Oh, yes, I'll explain later, in fact I should gain some informations myself first, anyway Viola is my mum. Crazy, isn't it?- the bell rang for the fourteenth time, -Fuuuck, the mail!- Lambo ran out of the kitchen while Fran surrendered and took the croissant with his hand.  
Lambo ran along the corridors and fell on his ass when Squalo blocked him, pulling his arm: -ARE YOU DEAF OR WHAT?!- the swordsman yelled.  
-I'm not deaf, but I have to take the mail for Lussuria and then I have the training, I'm in a bit of a hu...  
-Where's Viola?  
-Mum's in the electrical gym.- Lambo answered, then the bell rang again. -For God's sake, I'm coming! Hi, Dino!  
-Mum?- Dino asked, but Lambo was already far. He ran along the external path, waved to Romario and finally reached the postman.  
-Good morning! Sorry, very busy moment. Do I have to sign?  
-Oh, yes, there are two packages...- the man answered, giving them to him across the gate, together with the notebook to sign. Lambo took everything and signed, then the postman said: -Uhm... Lucy isn't at home, today?  
-Ah... I... I'm new here and... I have no idea who Lucy is.  
-A handsome man, tall and well-built, with a coloured Mohawk...- Lambo stared into the void. There was only one person with a coloured Mohawk, even if the adjective “handsome” was a bit... well. After all, de gustibus. He said: -Oh, him! Sorry, we call him Luss and I didn't connect the two things. No, he's not home, we... we are dealing with a... an important project and he... well, he's really busy at the moment.  
-Oh.- said the postman, disappointed.  
-But he says hello!- Lambo improvised. The man in front of him lit up like a Christmas tree: -Re... really? He talked about me?  
-Uhm, not really...- Lambo said, and he was beginning to think he had made a huge mistake. The postman looked sad once again: -I told you, he's very busy and we can't speak that much... but he told me to get the mail and to say hello!  
-Do you happen to know if he has... I mean, a significant other?  
-I... don't think so.  
-You're not his boyfriend, are you?- the man asked. Lambo was starting to feel a bit under pressure: -No, for sure. I'm a bit too young for him. Listen, do you want to leave me your phone number? I can give it to him and he will send you a message when he can.  
-Oh, you would? Really?  
-For sure, no problem!- Lambo metaphorically patted his own shoulder: having the man leave his name and number he would have been able to check on him, and if he was clear Lussuria would have been happy to have a suitor. He was also quite pleasant.  
-Here you are. Thank you so much, uhm...- the postman gave Lambo a sheet then his own hand; Lambo understood that he was asking for a name, but he didn't want to say it to a stranger. He improvised: -Romeo.- the name gave him a shiver at the memory of Reborn and Bianchi, and he almost didn't hear the pathetic thanks of the postman. He shook his hand, sent him away and went back to the mansion. Pushed by the same curiosity that killed the cad, he opened the sheet and read: “Call me, you stud. All yours, Simone”. He suddenly regretted what he had done, thanks to the x-rated movie of Lussuria doing dirty things with the postman that was now playing in his head.  
He joined Fran in the kitchen and found him still busy eating his croissant: -Hey, Fran, can you do a check on this guy?- he asked. Fran took the message.  
-Woah, you put on some muscles, but not enough to call you “stud”.  
-It's not for me, it's for Lussuria. The postman has a crush on him.  
-Oh, I'm sorry, he must be blind.- Lambo smiled.  
-You douchebag. Come on, check him out, if he's clear we'll give the message to Luss.  
-Do you think he can fuck him while he's still alive? Or will we be responsible for the postman's mysterious disappearance?  
-I didn't go that far, but thank you for giving me nightmares.- Lambo said, then he looked at the coffee machine. That brief Cupid interlude had brought Reborn back on his mind. While he was busy pondering, Colonnello got in, followed by Lal Mirch: -Can you bring him coffee, kora?- the blond asked to the woman, -He's holding a grudge since last night, but we need him to define the latest details, and he can't get ready without coffee, kora.  
-Are you asking me to willingly go into Reborn's room when he's in a bad mood? Do you think I'm insane?- Lal answered, accepting a cup of tea.  
-I'll go.- Lambo stated. Colonnello jumped and turned towards him: -I hadn't seen you...  
-I'll go.- Lambo said again. The blond stared at him for a while, then poured a cup of coffee and said: -It's bad luck not to make peace before war, kora.- Lambo didn't answer for a long time. Eventually, he went past him, opened a drawer and declared: -I'm not making Reborn drink that crap.

Someone knocked at Reborn's door, and he sighed. He shoved his fedora on his head even more, to hide his red eyes that would reveal his almost sleepless night, he meditated whether to turn rabbit for a while, then his sense of duty prevailed: -Come in.  
-Reborn, I have your coffee.- a voice said, and the pores on Reborn's arms stiffened, covering him in goosebumps. He glanced at the reflections in the window and saw that yes, it was Lambo, standing still on the doorstep holding a plate with a cup of coffee, a glass of water and a croissant on it, almost as if in one night he had gone back to a month and a half prior.  
-Thank you.- he forced himself to say, unsure about what to do. He couldn't understand whether that cup was an offer of peace, a duty to compel or a poisoning threat.  
Then, the perfume of the coffee reached his nostrils, and a wave of memories hit him. The sense of guilt in ignoring Lambo, him bringing him back to life during that battle, his slender figure jumping in the kitchen at Vongola Base, his shock at the news that he was to be sent at the Varia's, the warmth of his body against Reborn's in the park's playhouse.  
-This time the coffee is good, I swear.- Lambo said. There was a tremble, in his voice, that Reborn was afraid to misunderstand, -It comes from my personal stash.  
-I thought you didn't drink coffee.- Reborn said.  
-Here you can choose between coffee or cocaine, I had to get used to it. And I have to admit, it's quite good.  
-You shouldn't have used it for me.  
-I did. I...- Lambo left the plate on a drawer and dared to step forward; Reborn hid himself in a cone of shadow: -I was a bit shocked, yesterday, I... I'd like to explain, if I might.  
-Alright.  
-I... I know that getting involved in a relationship is hard for you. You would obviously have a blatant weak point and...  
-And you will constantly be at risk.  
-Ah.- Reborn turned to face Lambo, certain that his face would remain unseen because he was backlit: -Did you really think it was just me? Lambo, every person has a weak spot, in some cases it is just more difficult to find. I was serious when I said that I couldn't bear it if Verde was to target you to hit me. Seeing you suffer because of me would be...  
-...a routine.- Lambo finished for him, and Reborn stared at him. The suffering on his face was clear, and the smile that Lambo came up with was as bitter as a citrus' zest: -I've been suffering because of you for ages, I'm not scared. Anyway, if you prefer not telling anyone, that won't be a problem for me. It's not like I wanted to go on a romantic date anyway.  
-Lambo...- Reborn called, holding out a hand to invite him to come closer.  
-I tried to play it cool yesterday, and see how long I could bear. The truth is...  
-Lambo.  
-...yes, I mean, I love you, that's all, I can't pretend I don't. I'm only asking you to...  
-Lambo!- Reborn yelled, then he let out a fun little smirk.  
-Ah! What?  
-Come here, you silly.- Reborn held out both hands towards him, and Lambo threw himself against his chest. Once he was comfortable, Reborn decided he had no reason to hide from him; he took the fedora off, showing his swollen eyes, and confessed: -I was serious also when yesterday I said that I love you.- Lambo stared at him with the eyes of a child, a child who after years of disappointment finally opens a Christmas present to find that it is exactly what he had asked Santa Clause for. Without thinking too much about it, he took possess of Reborn's lips, opened them with his own and moaned when the killer reciprocated his kiss with the same amount of passion. He pushed himself against his body and had the satisfaction of hearing him moan with pleasure; his virility shivered against Reborn's pelvis, and they would surely have ended up rolling themselves on the floor if it hadn't been for a frantic knock at the door.  
-Reborn, kora! You have to see this one, kora!  
-Get the fuck out, Colonnello, I'm busy!- Reborn growled, while with trembling hands he tried to open Lambo's belt.  
-I know, I was not born yesterday, kora!  
-Reborn, Skull is here.- Lal Mirch said. Reborn froze and Lal added: -Skull asked about Cavallone. That idiot was wondering if he got the warning about the Carcassa Famiglia, five years ago.

Bella – a common way to greet between young friends in Italy. Quite similar to “what's up?”, it doesn't really mean nothing since its literal meaning is “beautiful”, but that's it, we use it. We're dumb.  
Fritto misto – a typical street food, consisting in various kinds of fish and sea stuff, all thrown in a basket, covered with batter and deep fried. Not really healthy, but worth the risk.  
Someone has to wear trousers – old and kinda sexist sentence, but it's used very often. I don't know if this has an equivalent in English, but the one wearing the trousers, who takes care of the dirtiest jobs, is supposed to be the “man”. Usually, it almost never is, so joke's on them ^^'


	11. That Crackling Sound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skull is getting on Reborn's nerves.  
> Lambo speaks with Tsuna and Gokudera.  
> Iemitsu is the usual Iemitsu.  
> Viper and Squalo have an important chat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since some of the genders of the Arcobalenos are not very clear, I've decided by myself that this time Viper is female.  
> No offence to anyone who thinks differently!

Between Skull's annoying voice, Collonnello who ended every sentence with his unbearable “kora”, the nervousness for having been forced to interrupt the cuddling session with Lambo, and Dino who had the face of one who's about to be run over by a train, Reborn was about to commit at least a murder.  
He saw with the corner of his eye Tsuna: the young man appeared on the doorstep, looked inside and wisely decided to back away. Good boy, his hyper intuition was never wrong. He would probably spend the rest of the day hiding himself from Iemitsu, who as usual didn't seem to notice how much his son despised him. How was the Mafia still standing while it was driven by those idiots with ham on their eyes was a mystery over which often Reborn pondered, and the depressing conclusion was that probably the people outside the Mafia were even more stupid.  
No, it wasn't a comforting thought at all.  
-No, wait, Skull. Say it again.- Dino said, for what was maybe the gazilionth time: -You...  
-Screw that, Dino!- Reborn scolded him, -You heard the story a million times! Skull warned Filippo about the attack, Filippo was clearly the less suitable people to tell since he had just sold you, so to answer your question, Skull, no, your tip-off was useless.  
-Reborn, calm down, kora!- Colonnello said.  
-The great Skull couldn't know that that douchebag had betrayed!- Skull blurted. The scream pierced Reborn's eardrums.  
-You could, you idiot, if you only cared about the Carcassa's business instead of doing it only part-time!  
-I'm a stuntman! The immortal stuntman who even Death itself is afraid o...  
-Oh, holy shit, here we go again...- Reborn muttered.  
-OK, alright, let's all calm down for a second.- Dino said; he seemed to have finally managed to make a few neurons crash against each other, making his brain work again, -First of all, Skull, thank you for the thought. Sadly, you told that to the wrong person, but I really appreciate you trying to help me.- Skull nodded, with the expression of someone who knows he has earned the compliment.  
-Second. Reborn, please calm down, arguing won't get us anywhere.  
-Peace and looove!- Lussuria tingled; he was running in that very moment in front of the door, heading to the dining room for a quick snack. Reborn jumped, as if he wanted to go and beat the shit out of him, but Colonnello held him by an arm.  
-Third.- Dino went on, as if he hadn't been interrupted, -What are you doing here, Skull?  
-The great Skull bears good news! I and some guys from the Carcassa left the Family before they attacked you. We have heard from our spies that the Estraneo want to put their hands on Mukuro Rokudo, and we are here to offer our support so that it doesn't happen!- Skull declared, standing up in a scenic pose. Reborn rolled his eyes and bit his tongue, then he blurted: -So, you have something going on with Verde and you want to take advantage of our war.- Skull suddenly got serious and sat down again.  
-How did you find out?- the ex-Arcobaleno asked in an unusually low tone of voice. Reborn widened his eyes: -Find out what?  
-Ch. That's classical you, to guess even things you can't know nothing of. Three years ago, Verde kidnapped me to find out what made me so strong. I've been freed by the Carcassa seven months later. For once I won't back down, Reborn. If I can avoid that bastard to put his dirty hands on some other poor victim, I'll be glad to help. Just tell me how.  
-I don't trus...- a quake shocked the mansion, and the lights went out all of a sudden.  
-What's happening, kora?- Colonnello asked, taking his rifle. Reborn put one in the chamber, Dino took put his whip and Skull wore the helmet. Lal stepped back and produced her Box Weapon, ready to intervene. After a short while, however, the lights went back on with a fizzle.  
-I'm sorry, I'm sorry, my fault!- Lambo yelled from the corridor. The boy appeared on the doorstep, followed by Viola. They were both raggedy, and slight electric shocks were brushing Lambo's skin.  
-Lambo, are you alright?- Reborn asked.  
-I'm alright, don't worry, I just...  
-Lambo, go, you need to discharge.- Viola invited him, pushing him with the back of her hands.  
-What happened?- Reborn asked, getting close to the door only to see Lambo running to the front door.  
-Elettrico Cornata. He got carried away. Hell, I never saw such a power!- Viola answered, in awe and proud.  
-Viola, Skull is bringing help.- Dino said, changing the subject, -Five years ago Skull refused to take part in the attack, that's why you didn't see...  
-Go away and I'll come and get you till my last breath.- Viola menaced. She remembered Skull from her childhood. The Bovino had called the stuntman for some missions, and the ex-Arcobaleno had the strong tendency to run errands as soon as things got difficult.  
-You won't need to.- Lal said, -This time is personal. Verde tried to use Skull as well as a lab rat.- Viola didn't reply, and Skull seemingly looked at her from behind the helmet.  
-Alright, well, uhm...- Dino started to say, -I think that Skull could help us with the Cloud Flames. We're short with them.  
-Are you sure you want to give this idiot such a crucial job?- Reborn asked.  
-Yes.- Dino answered. His voice was so firm that Reborn raised an eyebrow, expecting an explanation. The blond looked around then said: -The Incognito have some powerful radars. We can't get close on a helicopter, so we'll use Byakuran's Box Weapon.  
-Can I sing “Neverending Story”?- Viola asked. Dino ignored her.  
-Levi, Lambo and Viola will have to travel by dragon. I don't have a Cloud Guardian, so everything will be up to Kikyo, but I don't think he will be strong enough.  
-Dino, I wouldn't want to state the obvious, but...  
-Kyoya doesn't tolerate heights.- Reborn took a deep breath, then said: -Alright, what did I miss? What's the difference with the helicopter?  
-In an helicopter he can sit in the middle.- Lal said, crossing her arms, -Sitting on a dragon is clearly more frightening.  
-The hell, Lal!- Reborn burst, -Are you defending him? He's a Vongola Guardian, for God's sake, he can't have such a weakn...  
-My parents have been killed.- said a low and calm voice, while Hibari emerged from a shadowy corner, -By some from the Triads. They threw them out of a skyscraper. Before my eyes. I was three.  
-Kyoya...- Dino softly called, -You don't have to...  
-And then they hanged me on the sill. I've stayed there until Fon didn't find me. I had to be a warning for the other members of my family.  
-Holy shit, kora.- Colonnello muttered. Lal didn't flinch, and Reborn vaguely thought she had to know it already.  
-I can be of support,- Skull changed the subject, embarrassed, -I've done a lot of stuff, but riding a dragon is a first time.  
-Wonderful!- Dino commented, his voice a bit too loud, -Please know that Viola would be behind your ass, ready to tear it open if she sees you hesitating. Now, no offence but... Skull, you stink. I think it would be nice if you took a shower, but I don't know where to...  
-You can use my room.- Viola said, -But the bathroom must be free an hour from now.- she turned towards Dino and Reborn and said: -Storms are unpredictable. I don't want Lambo to get tired before the battle, if we should need to anticipate it.  
-Wise decision.- Reborn said. Viola shuddered and left.

-Lambo!- Tsuna called, running towards his Lightning Guardian.  
-Wait a sec, Tsuna nii, stay where you are, feet on the stones, please.- Lambo said, and Tsuna froze. Lambo let out his electricity in the soil, enough to generate a small earthquake, then he wiped his hands on his trousers and went closer to Tsuna.  
-I heard someone say “my bad” for the black out... is it just my imagination or was it you?  
-Yes!- Lambo smiled, and Tsuna asked himself how could they not notice that until now they had only seen his smirking, -I finally learned the Elettrico Cornata on a distance, and I think I was too excited!- he said and scratched the back of his head.  
-Wow.- Tsuna muttered, in awe, -You're really powerful. You were at your maximum, I guess.  
-Well, no, I was just over half power.- Lambo answered, as if it was nothing. He looked embarrassed, uncomfortable in front of the person that he had always thought to as a big brother.  
-What?! It's...- Tsuna huffed a laughter, -I can't find the word, Lambo, you're fantastic!- the boy didn't answer, and Tsuna got closer. He managed to catch his eyes and said: -Forgive us.  
-Tsuna nii, there's nothing to forgive.- Lambo answered after a while, -Lussuria told me that the Flames are rare and only recently they have been studied, so we don't know many things. I guess Fuuta was the best solution, you couldn't send me here without knowing if I did have some potential. Levi would have called you back just to laugh in your face.  
-I guess so... but I think we should have noticed.  
-You were the one who didn't want me to fight.- Lambo replied, and Tsuna saddened, -And I appreciate it, really. I mean, most of the times I was already shitting my pants for fear anyway, so I didn't have to force myself to step back.- Tsuna huffed.  
-It is what it is, we can't go back. Right?- Lambo went on.  
-Lambo, we don't deserve your love. My dad always ignored me and I hated him for this, and here I am doing the same thing to you. And you are consoling me, as if it was nothing!  
-Tsuna nii, Papa didn't even try. You did. That's what matters, I think.- Tsuna couldn't resist. He threw himself forward and held Lambo with all his strenght. The boy clutched to his shoulders and for a while they just stood there. Then, a hand perched on Lambo's shoulder, and he found himself out of Tsuna's hold and in Gokudera's arms.  
-We should have tried more.- the Storm muttered against his shoulder.  
-Try. Fail. Try again. Fail better.- Lambo said. Gokudera leaned back a bit and looked at him, puzzled. Lambo smiled and said: -Some famous dude said this, I don't remember his name. But I like the quote. And... I understood it yesterday, I don't want to stay with the Varia. You are my Family.- his heart shrank, and Gokudera probably noticed, because he took him by his shoulders and waited in silence for him to speak.  
-I'd like Viola to come with us to Namimori. I don't know who my dad is, I don't remember him, but I do remember her. She's my mum.  
-Lambo... well...- Gokudera began, but Tsuna interrupted him: -She will be welcome every time you want! And there are parties, and summer holidays... and video calls! And Reborn already told me that we'll have to move to Italy when the Ninth will pass away. And Cavallone Mansion is only half an hour of train far from Vongola Mansion. Well, it could be ages before we move here, but...  
-Don't be silly, Tsuna.- Iemitsu said from behind his back, -The Ninth's got a cancer. He will be lucky to see this Christmas. Until next summer at the farthest, the little family will be reunited.  
-Dad, come with me, please.- Tsuna said, pushing him away.  
Gokudera, now alone with Lambo, said: -So... You're becoming a badass, I've been told.- Lambo didn't answer, and the silence became enormous. Eventually, the boy said: -Bakadera.  
-Aho Ushi! What was that fo...  
-Ah, that's better!- Lambo interrupted him, -Don't act like that, please. Tsuna nii aside, you insult everyone you love, I'll worry if you don't do it anymore with me!  
-They also told me you weren't that stupid!  
-I was told the same about you, Gokudera shi, sometimes people are wrong.- Gokudera slapped him on the back of his head, Lambo giggled and then raised his eyes. He called: -Mum!

-How much do you know?- Tsuna abruptly asked.  
-All of it.- Iemitsu answered, Lambo, true name Robin Bovino Gokudera, son of Viola Bovino and Hayato Gokudera, kidnapped at four by...  
-Alright, stop it. Lambo knows who his mother is, but he doesn't know anything about Hayato. So keep it secret until this story ends.  
-Ah, Tsuna, you got the deeper voice with your dad? You really grew up, I see.  
-Yes, a thing I guess you never did.- Tsuna replied, cold. Iemitsu hesitated, then said: -Well, Lambo has to be recognised. So I guess you'll have to leave your boyfriend, because he will have to marry the pretty mum.  
-No. We talked about it, and none of them wants a wedding. And for the last time, Hayato and I don't intend to break up.  
-Son.- Iemitsu said, then sighed, -You're the Vongola Famiglia Boss. You have to leave a heir. And for sure you can't get your Hayato pregnant.  
-We're setting up with artificial insemination. Haru seems to be a perfect host and she said she will be glad to bear my child.  
-I doubt he would be accepted by the mafia. It's still a bastard child.- Iemitsu disagreed. Tsuna tried to ignore the sensation of his blood boiling hot in his veins. He knew, for he had heard a conversation between his father and Nana, that Iemitsu disapproved his sexual orientation, and that all his speech only reduced to his trying to change his rebel son's preferences.  
-And I am nothing but a far relative of the Ninth. And if Xanxus had been his bastard child, when he defeated me he would have become the Boss and the Mafia would have accepted him. Don't say bullshit and say how things are: you think I'm bad because I love a man.- Iemitsu hesitated, and his silence was enough to reply to his son's innuendo. Tsuna caught a glimpse of remorse in his father's eyes, but allowed him no time to speak; he turned away and he left him.

Gokudera was sitting alone on a big rock under an oak. Tsuna got close, still fuming with rage, but promptly forgot the argument when he saw the expression on his lover's face: -Hayato, what happened?  
-Viola came to call Lambo for their training. He called her “mum” and... Tsuna, do you think I'm stupid if I'm jealous?  
-Jealous?- Tsuna asked, sitting down beside him. Gokudera huffed the smoke upright, to avoid huffing it in his face.  
-Now that I know...- Gokudera whispered, then he swallowed, -Now that I know, I'd like to be called “dad”.  
-After the battle. When all of this will be over, you will tell him everything. He's grown a lot, during this month. He will listen to you till the end, I'm sure of it.  
-Tsuna, I love you.- Gokudera said, and Tsuna leaned on his shoulder, sighing.  
-I know, Hayato. And I love you too. See, I also found a new pro for the list “Reasons why Gokudera Hayato is not a bad parent”.  
-And that would be?- Gokudera asked, while a tiny smile appeared on his lips.  
-You can't tell your son that he sucks because he's gay.- Tsuna tried to fight back his tears and sniffed.  
-Iemitsu told you so?- Gokudera asked, his smile vanished. Tsuna nodded: -More or less. He made me understand it.  
-Well. Better to be gay than to be a desaparecido.- Gokudera said, then he hugged his Sky.

-VOI! Come on now, get the fuck out, sleep, eat, do whatever you want but stay ready to leave as soon as I call you, scum!- Squalo yelled, dismissing the Rain Squad.  
The guys, extraordinarily disciplined for the respect they paid towards the swordsman, left the dojo quietly chatting with each other, and Squalo looked at them going out. When the last one was out of his sight and hearing, he collapsed against the wall, a hand clutched on his chest.  
-I knew it.- said a delicate voice, -You're at risk of transplant rejection.  
-VOI! Viper, the hell are you doing here?- Squalo huffed, trying in the meantime to slow down his heartbeat. Since a few weeks prior, the transplanted heart had started to act weird: it didn't support efforts that Squalo counted as minimum, it ached and lost the rhythm, bringing him to a ferocious tachycardia or becoming fearfully bradycardic.  
-Are you taking your pills?- Viper asked.  
-Yes. I have just reduced the dose, I would probably have to increase it again, but I don't have time to see the doctor.- Squalo confessed, reluctantly. He knew that Viper was the only one who could help him, creating the illusion that his heart wasn't sick, yet he hesitated with lowering his guard.  
-I'll keep you safe until the end of the battle. But you'll have to hurry, afterwards. I would never think I'd be saying this, but I doubt that Xanxus would be happy if you died.  
-How much?- Squalo asked.  
-I'll send the bill to the Boss.  
-NO!- Squalo yelled, almost terrified. The last thing he wanted was to show his weakness before Xanxus' eyes, now that the man had asked him to marry him, -No, send it to me. I'll find a way to pay you.- Viper shuddered and disappeared in a tiny cloud of smoke.

-Did you convince him?- Xanxus growled, playing with a glass of tequila he was holding in his hand.  
-Of course, I caught him by surprise.- Viper asked, and with a tiny bit of satisfaction she noticed the Boss' sigh of relief.  
-Send me the bill.- Xanxus commanded.  
-The estimate is already on your desk.- Viper replied, then she left. No special effects, with the boss: she was there in person. Xanxus waited until the door was closed behind her, then brushed through the paperwork and found an estimate for a crazy amount of money.  
He didn't waste a second to evaluate it: he signed his approval with the MontBlanc Squalo had bought him for Christmas.  
No amount of money was too much, not when it came to saving his beloved swordsman's life.


	12. The First Spark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A big, Vongola-style meeting.  
> A pleasant kidnapping.  
> Skull is Harry Potter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU SO MUCH PEOPLE!  
> I mean, seriously, all your comments and kudos are keeping my spirit high. I love you so much and I'm grateful for your support. I would probably have said goodbye to everything without you all.
> 
> On a side note, in this chapter Dino will ask a strange question to Reborn; it is a quite funny story I dreamt during an unplanned and unpleasant afternoon nap XD if anyone would like to hear it, let me know, I'll write it down!
> 
> Thank you again for all your supports, kudos and comments are always more than welcome!  
> XOXO

Varia Mansion's meeting room was as crowded as an intensive farming stable and filled with the same amount of good spirits.  
Tsuna looked around: Xanxus was emptying his third bottle of tequila in his glass, Squalo seemed to be less tired than he was just a few hours before and yelled at a louder-than-usual level of voice; this was clearly bothering Colonnello, who was uselessly trying to yell louder than him. Gokudera and Belphegor had spent the last thirty minutes throwing dynamite and knives at each other, while all the Arcobalenos but Fon, who was calm as usual, and Aria, who had gone out to phone Yuni and hadn't come back, were giving each other nasty looks. Dino was massaging his forehead and looked as if he was victim of a legendary migraine, while Viola stuffed her mouth with some marshmallows provided by Byakuran, while looking into the void with the stare of a Vietnam veteran. The only ones who looked at ease were Fran, Lambo and I-Pin, who weren't giving a damn about the mess and were happily chatting in a corner; Tsuna had wanted to sarcastically ask them if they wanted some tea with biscuits, but he had decided not to: the temptation of joining them would have been too strong.  
-VOOOIII! Where the fuck is that Iemitsu dumbass?!  
-Don't know, don't care.- Tsuna answered, -Anyway, there's no room for him, unless we take that closet out of the room.- his unexpected sarcasm, finally, made silence fall.  
-I mean...- the Tenth went on, unwillingly taking the reins of the situation, -We are still discussing what, exactly? The plan is clear, and...  
-And as soon as we get in, shit will hit the fan any way.- Gokudera growled.  
-I have to agree.- Xanxus stated. Tsuna was surprised to realise that, even though he had chugged a commoner's monthly alcohol supply he wasn't blabbering the slightest. From Lussuria's pained expression, he understood that Xanxus was profusely sweating the alcohol he had swallowed. He saw him drink a colossal sip of tequila and waited for him to go on: -Much depends from how fast they can realize they are under attack and how they will organize a counter offensive. Any further forecast, at this point, is just plain useless.  
-And maybe harmful, I'd say.- Byakuran added, chewing on a marshmallow. Levi's jaws contracted, while the other went on with his mouth full: -If we decide a plan and we try to stick at it, when everything goes wrong we have no back plan and we will be in trouble.  
-So, we get in and then we improvise?- Lal Mirch asked for a confirmation, eager to put an end to that unbearable meeting. Byakuran shrugged, Xanxus waved a hand as an answer. Tsuna quickly thought, then said: -Yes. Basically, that's it.  
-Great! That's Skull's favourite plan!  
-We're watertight...- Reborn muttered, but didn't disagree. He well knew that Xanxus and Byakuran were right.  
-We would also want to consider some things.- said a voice behind Tsuna, who jumped in surprise: -Basil kun! Where have you been?  
-I was organizing your mom's protections with the Simon. Enma will come, but the others will take care of Nana.  
-Enma is coming? Yokatta!  
-What were you saying, Basil?- Reborn asked.  
-I was saying, that with my Delfino di Pioggia we can coordinate our Box Weapons. And, given that we are a lot, we can't ignore the possibility of using different kinds of Flames together. We should never be on our own and...  
-VOI! I don't want anybody to be in my way!- Squalo yelled.  
-Neither do I.- Xanxus said, -If someone is on my gun's trajectory, please note that I won't hesitate to shoot through them.  
-But...  
-Basil kun, don't.- Tsuna said, -It's useless.  
-Those of us who don't brag, anyway, appreciate the suggestion.- Dino added.  
-VOOOOOIIIII, what do you mean by that, Haneuma?!- Squalo screamed, getting up and taking his sword out. Belphegor avoided a beheading with a fluid movement, without even flinching.  
-What I'm saying is...  
-Boss.- Romario's calm voice, in contrast with all the yelling, imposed itself with no effort. Everyone turned towards the door and the man said: -I've been constantly checking the weather channel. In two hours, heavy storms are said to hit the Livorno area. If we're ready, we should go.  
-Shit. It begins.- Tsuna muttered.  
-YOSH!- Ryohei jumped up, -GUYS! EXTREME ENCOURAGEMENT!- he screamed at the top of his lungs, spreading his arms as if he wanted to hug everyone.  
-Maa, maa!- Yamamoto laughed, -I doubt that Xanxus will want to!  
-Well said, brat.- the Varia Boss gnarled: he would rather have his prostate examined by Bester then do that bullshit.  
-Boss, you're some joy killer, you know?- Fran said, emerging from the fairy world he had been in until that moment, -I want to do it.  
-Ushishishishi, no one touches the Prince's Frog.  
-COME WITH HIM TO THE EXTREME, BELPHEGOR!- Ryohei suggested.  
In the end, the Vongola's Sun Guardian directed a lot of group hugs, even if he had to agree with Fran that Xanxus was a joy killer. He never found out who had slapped his butt, but bets were pretty high on Lussuria.

-Are you ready, Lambo?- Tsuna asked, getting close to his youngest Guardian.  
-No, not even a bit. What about you?- He answered, his face an insane greenish paleness.  
-Neither am I.- Tsuna replied, then he nervously giggled. Behind him, Skull yelled: -You beautiful daughter of the Riddermark, I swear on my honour that I'll protect you whatever the cost!  
-Skull.- Viola sighed, -You don't have a honour.- she rapidly left the ex Arcobaleno and got close to Dino.  
In the meanwhile, Reborn was finding out how a rockstar feels in the backstage of a concert: everyone seemed to have chosen that very moment to speak with him. At the moment, getting close to Lambo for a kiss good luck was clearly impossible. Dino took him by his shoulder and unexpectedly asked: -Reborn, did we know that Skull has a dick?  
-Dino! The hell! Is this the moment to ask that?!  
Squalo looked around, searching for problems; suddenly, someone grabbed him by his elbow and pulled him into a secluded room.  
-V...!- his protest was silenced by a kiss. Even if it was dark and his kidnapper was silent, Squalo recognized the familiar touch of Xanxus' lips. He surrendered without opposing resistance: the night before he had fallen asleep before even touching the bed, weakened by the arrangements and by the nasty jokes his heart was playing him, and the quick fuck in the meeting room couldn't be enough in the slightest to calm him.  
At least, to calm his need to be in contact with Xanxus. To him, it had never been just a physical question: as much as it might sound corny, he could easily state that he had fallen in love as soon as he had laid eyes on Xanxus' face for the first time. He had always loved him with all of himself, and now that he knew he was reciprocated he felt like walking a meter over the ground. But now, since Xanxus had put that ring on his finger, they still hadn't had a single moment to talk about it. “After the battle”, Squalo had said to himself, but even now that his heart wasn't giving him any problem he felt in that sentence some sort of inevitability: it sounded like the classic book scene when a policeman speaks of their family's project and then gets brutally murdered the day before their retirement. He deeply inhaled Xanxus' masculine smell while he relaxed in his hug; maybe it was the forced separation, but it seemed to him that Xanxus was holding him tighter than usual. He welcomed Xanxus' tongue in his mouth, caressed it with his, he tasted the far scent of tequila that was still covering it and found out he was still able to feel good. Then, Xanxus backed away and said: -Twelfth of August.  
-What?- Squalo asked, puzzled.  
-On the twelfth of August, we're getting married.- Xanxus clarified. His face was invisible in the dark, and not a single shiver had crossed his voice, but Squalo could feel his heart beating fast against his own chest. He couldn't manage to answer verbally: if he would, he would have screamed with joy so loudly that every glass object within a kilometre would have shattered. He just raised his face and took possession of Xanxus' lips in a slow, languid kiss that ripped the phantom of a moan from Xanxus.  
-SHIRORYU, WAIT!- Byakuran screamed, and the two parted with a jump.  
-VOI, always in the worse moment, fucking bunch of idiots.  
-The great Skull will take care of it!- another annoying voice yelled; Squalo understood that Reborn was in front of the door because he heard him mutter: -Good, we're doomed.  
-Reborn.- Lambo's voice called, -Can we...  
-In here.- Reborn replied, and the light hit Xanxus and Squalo while the door was being opened.  
The four of them stared at each other, unsure on how to behave. Lambo was the first to make a move, but in fact he wasn't that useful: he just shoved his face in Reborn's jacket.  
-VOI! I'm looking forward to the moment I'll kick you all's asses home!- Squalo blurted, then he went out, carrying Xanxus with him.

-Ten thousands yen that Byakyran's I.Q. doesn't hit three digits.- Gokudera said, lightning a cigarette while he watched the show.  
-He just put out a fucking dragon in a closed ambient,- Belphegor pointed out, -He would be lucky to get two digits.  
-How the hell could he think... ahhh.- Tsuna muttered, a hand on his face. It was a miracle that Shiroryu didn't destroy anything before taking refuge in the garden, where now he refused any contact.  
-The fuck do we do, now, kora?- Collonnello asked, -And what the fuck is Skull doing?  
-Shit, he'll get himself killed...- Dino commented. Skull was boldly walking towards the enormous scared dragon, who was hissing from the fountain.  
-Let him. He's making us a courtesy.- Hibari replied.  
-At the moment, we need him.- Fran pointed out, then he shut up. The dragon had made a terrifying noise, but Skull didn't flinch.  
More, he stepped even forward and made a bow.  
-He knows that it isn't a hippogriff, does he?- Viola asked. But, to everyone's surprise, the enormous dragon didn't eat him alive: it bowed his head too and some seconds after Skull was happily petting it.  
-Shit, what if it really is a hippogriff?- Dino asked.  
-Oh, please, kill me.- Viola replied; for some reasons, she seemed to be quite enraged.  
-Well, he calmed that thing,- Fran said, -You will have to ride it, right?- Skull turned towards them and gestured for them to come closer. Byakuran had already flown to him and was now lying on the dragon.  
-Go.- Dino commanded.  
-I have to pee.- Viola replied.  
-Go.- Levi said, pulling her towards the dragon. Dino looked at them bowing to the dragon and then pet its head. Kikyo, without missing a beat, was already on top of the animal and seemed to be at ease.  
-What's happening?- Reborn asked, emerging from behind Dino, holding Lambo's hand.  
-Skull tamed the dragon.- Tsuna answered, -Lambo, go down and be friendly, you'll have to ride it.- Lambo nodded and left Reborn's hand; the hitman looked at him running to the dragon. Tsuna got close to him and said: -I would never expect to see you two hand in hand.  
-And I would never expect to fear this much for his life.- Reborn muttered in reply. Tsuna didn't say a word for a while, then he whispered: -Now you know why I don't want him to fight. Because I care about him so much that if something was to happen to him...  
-Nothing's gonna happen.- Gokudera stated, showing a certainty he wasn't feeling.

Pretty.  
Pretty, pretty, pretty.  
That chick, Viola, was really pretty.  
Not in a conventional way, no long legs, no endless eyelashes, a body that was too thin to be really sexy, and yet Skull found her pretty.  
And he loved that push and pull game she had set up: first, she invited him in her room, then she refused his attempt at flirting. It was a sign, according to Skull, that she was smart as well: no one liked a girl who falls at the first sign, at least he didn't.  
He saw her raising a leg to straddle the dragon, and he envied that big beast. Then, his brilliant mind gave birth to the perfect plan. With a steady pace, he went behind her and got on the dragon, keeping a two-centimetres distance from her beautiful butt.  
-Skull.- Viola sighed.  
-Tell me all about it, honey.  
-If you're trying to make an “appoggino”, you're wrong. I'll cut it.  
-Why do you refuse my love so bad?- Skull asked, brushing her neck with his lips. She answered with a fist on his face, and the dragon got nervous for the sudden movement.  
-Shit!- Viola cried, and Skull held her by her shoulders to avoid her a fall.  
-As I promised, I will protect you.- he whispered. The woman turned towards him and hissed: -Listen. We have bigger problems than your pussy abstinence.  
-That's why I promised to protect you, so we can go on a date after the battle.- Viola rolled her eyes, disconsolate, but to Skull it was clear that it was a fake protest.  
-I can make it by myself, Wonder Boy. If you really want to protect someone, please protect Lambo. You will earn my gratitude as well as Reborn's. Now, I think it's time we...  
-We're going!- Xanxus commanded, coming out of the mansion together with Squalo. Fran jumped on the dragon in front of Lambo, who asked: -Hey, what are you doing here?  
-Bel senpai had a genius idea. He remembered that over the clouds you can't breathe really well, so we'll fly down and I'll hide us until we need it.  
-It's things like these that reminds me that sometimes he's useful.- Levi muttered, trying to get comfortable: he wasn't an expert, but he could easily say that the dragon wasn't his favourite transport.  
-Are we ready to go?- Byakuran asked; he was sitting right behind the head and he turned around with a languid movement and a large smile.  
-The great Skull is born ready!  
-Born annoying, I'd say...- Lambo muttered. Fran gave him a glimpse of a smile, then he turned back again, already focused on the mission.  
From the heliport in the back of the mansion came the noise of the rotors warming up, while the ones who were lucky enough to travel by helicopter were starting to leave. Reborn waited a bit, and when Lambo managed to raise his eyes from Byakuran's Box Weapon, the hitman waved at him, and the boy answered as fast as he could.  
-At what speed does this thing go?- Viola asked, her voice trembling.  
-About fifty kilometres an hour.- Byakuran answered, -But don't worry! If Shiroryu honours you by carrying you on his back, he won't let you fall.  
-The fuck is it, Shadowfax?- Viola asked. Skull giggled, the others ignored her.  
-Ans you won't be bothered by the wind as well,- Byakuran went on, -Thanks to our... ehm, you with the frog hat, what's your name again?  
-Fran.  
-Thanks to our Fran.- Lambo swallowed some saliva that seemed to be covered in sandpaper. Even knowing he had to focus on the upcoming battle, he couldn't help but think that he would have preferred to travel on a helicopter, side by side with Reborn, even if he knew they would land far from the mansion and they would have covered the distance with their own feet: it was a long walk, but Lambo would have gladly tolerate it if it would have meant being comforted by Reborn's familiar scent.  
-Oh, shit!- he cried out, grabbing the dragon while it jumped in the air, encouraged by a gentle pat by Byakuran.  
-Do we know where to go?- Levi screamed to overcome the noise of the wind.  
-If we don't, we're screwed!- Lambo replied.  
-Christ, like this, Indian style,- Viola complained, -Without even a... THE HELL DO YOU WANT NOW?!- Skull was handing her his helmet. Seriously, he said: -Give this to Lambo.- Viola hesitated, astonished.  
-Thank you...- she eventually said, taking it. She looked forward, unsure about how to move, then she put on the helmet and pushed herself forward with her hands and legs. As she got to Lambo, he took him by the waist with an arm, and with her free hand she shoved the helmet on his head: -Fasten it!- she yelled, -If you fall, we're fucked!- Skull held out a hand and pulled her back, and this time he avoided to stick to her butt.  
He didn't understand what kind of relationship there was between Viola and Lambo, who seemed to be snuggling with Reborn, but he understood that to her, that boy was important, way more than him.  
Another fabulous failure for the great Skull.

“Wonder Boy” is clearly a quote from Disney's Hercules.  
The “appoggino” is a really stupid move some really stupid boys use to flirt: it consist in leaning (appoggiare) their thing against a girl's ass. Not very effective, I would not recommend it.


	13. Riding with the Storm

Byakuran turned towards the other and happily smiled at them, to which they all answered with pained groans. Without missing a beat, Byakuran said: -We should start now. We're twenty kilometres from there, and we still can't be sure we won't be spotted if we get too close. We'll start from here, and with the Propagation we'll manage to hit from a distance.- the five of them nodded. Levi took out his parabolas, Lambo put his Thunder Set on Skull's helmet and Viola wore two studded brass knuckles on her hands.  
At the first, violent shock, Kikyo commented: -Ahn-ha. Not bad, really.- he raised a hand and produced some violet Flames; they hit mid-air a lightning bolt generated by Lambo and it branched to no end.  
-Ohhh, that's super cool.- Fran commented, in awe. Levi, without minding the others, was operating a different technique: he was throwing less powerful shocks, covering a vast area. Byakuran smiled at his cleverness: this way, the trace that their tempest would leave was much more unclear, and seemed way more natural.  
-Shall we go further?- Skull yelled.  
-Shove me, boy, long distance is my favourite!- Viola replied, apparently forgetting her hostility: the truth was, seeing Lambo so powerful and so concentrated made her so proud of him that even with the perspective of the upcoming battle she felt like laughing for joy. Skull grabbed her wrists, and his Cloud Flames chilled the back of her hands; what came out were two very long longitudinal bolts, and Byakuran followed their trail laughing and clapping: -What a scene!- Lambo hit a beach, after checking that it was empty, and from it a great wave of sand raised; it almost instantly crystallized into glass, then it fell in a million of shining shatters, reflecting Levi's quick bolts. -Go forward, you too, Lambo!- Kikyo commanded, and the boy nodded.  
Fran looked in front of them and said: -We are near, I can see the mansion. We're close. A little bit more on the right!- the dragon slightly moved, while the three Lightning Guardians kept on firing: -Aaand... hit!  
-Was it mandatory to touch me, Skull?- Viola asked.  
-Well, no, but...  
-So, then, either you leave me or you keep me up, I'm slipping.- Skull let her go.  
-The generators are in the eastern wing. We should start aiming at them.- Viola added. Lambo heard her and called: -Fran! Can you give Kikyo and Skull a perspective of the house? So they'll know where to send the Flames!  
-And they said you were stupid!- Fran answered. Skull and Kikyo jumped while the illusionist involved them in his hyper perspective, then Skull commented: -Shit, so cool! Like those videogames where you have to put on a visor!- he saw his hand enter a corner of the frame, and the Flames that erupted from his Ring carried a powerful bolt by Lambo right on the target. The angle of the roof exploded.  
Shiroryu moaned, and Byakuran leaned on it.  
-Let's try this...- Kikyo muttered, and with one of Viola's longitudinal bolts he destroyed the four lightning rod of the mansion. -Power move, man!- Skull complimented. Now they were very close, and even Levi's short bolts managed to hit the mansion.  
-Skull!- Kikyo called, -Do you see that orange box at ground level?  
-Next to the swimming pool?  
-That one manages the internal light of the swimming pool by the generator!- Viola informed them.  
-Ahn-ha, I suspected it. Let's all aim there.  
-Guys...- Byakuran called, but he was ignored. The three Lightning Guardians charged at full power, and thanks to Skull's and Kikyo's Flames they hit their target. In his mind, Fran saw it explode; the external wall of the mansion was completely eviscerated, and the electricity which had been transmitted to the swimming pool had completely dried it. The few still lit up lights went off with a sizzling noise and didn't go on again.  
-Nice one!- Skull exulted, now a little bit of diversion, then we wait for the others. Who's keeping in touch with the other teams?  
-I am.- Fran answered, -I'll tell the boss we're on our way and that they can go on.  
-Guys, we have a problem, I fear.- Byakuran said, and his dragon made a moan of pain. It abruptly shifted to the left, forcing its passengers to interrupt the attack to grab themselves.  
-Boss, tell Gamma to do whatever he can to carry on with the storm!- Fran yelled into the microphone, and Lambo had the time to admire his readiness and cold blood, then the world turned upside down and he couldn't do anything but grab the dragon.  
-Shiroryu, hold on!- Byakuran screamed, but the dragon shrieked and jumped mid-air.  
-I can't see the mansion anymore! Fran, what's happening?- Skull asked.  
-I can't use my Flames anymore!  
-Fuck, that damn machine of Verde! They know we're coming!- Levi screamed, as if it was necessary. Then, the dragon disappeared; Lambo saw him enter Byakuran's Box in a hiss of Flames, then he started to fall.  
-Heads down!- Skull yelled at the top of his lungs, -Fetal position, don't cross your legs, cross your arms on your chest, head between your knees!- it sounded like a logic thing, even if Lambo thought that they would die anyway, but they all obliged, except from Byakuran who spread his wings. He heard Viola yell: -Lambo first!- and all of a sudden the boy felt as if he had no weight. He realized that Byakuran had rapidly carried him down, but even with his help he fell from four or five metres and hit his head on a rock. Suddenly, at his side Fran appeared. His frog-shaped hat got caught by a branch and the illusionist screeched.  
Levi and Kikyo landed more delicately, but on a spiny bush, and soon after them Skull, wrapped up on Viola's back, brutally fell on a fallen tree and destroyed it.  
Lambo raised his hands to take off the ex Arcobaleno's helmet, but Levi yelled: -DON'T!- the boy froze. -You're full of electricity and you can't use your Flames. Remove the Thunder Set first, hold it close and don't take your hands off it for any reason. I'll take the helmet off.- Lambo did as he was told. Coming out, he saw Fran taking off his hat and jumping on the ground, miraculously unhurt: the hat had prevented him from being impaled. Kikyo took the microphone from his trembling hands and said: -You three are interfering with the comunications. I have to contact the others.- he went away, and Byakuran followed him with his eyes.  
-Skull! Skull, answer me!- Viola called.  
-Ahhh, I'm alive, 'tis but a flesh wound.- the ex Arcobaleno joked, and Lambo relaxed. He put his Thunder Set back on his head and got closer to them: -Are you alright?  
-I'm perfect, I'm the immortal stuntman!- Skull answered, cracking his back. Viola was pale but she looked unharmed: -He got the hit for me. I could have died.  
-Nah, it was not a deadly fall.- Skull said with a smile, -But you would probably have lost the use of your legs. Let me say I would have taken care of you for the rest of your life!  
-Let me say that it is disturbing that you are flirting in the middle of a battle,- she answered, fixing her brass knuckles, then she said: -Lambo, don't take off the Thunder Set, you...  
-Yes, Levi already told me. What do we do?  
-We wait for Kikyo to come back.- Byakuran answered. He looked pissed, which was understandable since his dragon had risked big damages; now, he wasn't there for mere support anymore, but for personal reasons: -Twenty meters east there is a meadow, let's wait there.- Lambo gave the helmet back to Skull and he took it without saying a word. He looked a bit sad. -I hit my head against a rock. You saved what's left of my brain.- Lambo said with a tiny smile, then he turned around and went towards Fran. Skull played with the helmet, a sad smile on his face, then a hand held his sleeve: -I was joking, you idiot. You saved my life. And my son's.- Viola said, then she kissed his cheek.

-They're coming from east.- Kikyo said, -We are at the north-west of the mansion. Cavallone is suggesting a pincer attack. Do we have someone who can hit without Flames on a distance?  
-I have a gun.- Skull said, -But it won't be very useful.  
-Ahn-ha. We'll have to only count on Gokudera for the covering. Then the gunmen will go forward, so Skull, Reborn and Xanxus. If they can't get to the machines, we'll have to go with the close combat. Any volunteer?- Levi, Viola and Byakuran raised their hands.  
-I'll tell the others.- Kikyo left again, and Byakuran asked the question everyone was thinking at: -If the electricity is gone, how the hell are they able to use the Flames bollards?  
-Maybe batteries.- Levi said, -It's the only way. Viola, did you see anything?  
-No, I didn't even know they were building them back,- she answered, -But Verde doesn't live with the Incognito, and I had no time to infiltrate as I should have. I had to earn their trust first, but there was no time. I spied on what I could, but nothing more.  
-Where's Verde's base?- Byakuran asked.  
-There's a military base between Livorno and Pisa, it's called Camp Derby. He's there.  
-Too close, shit.- Byakuran said, -We have to find a way to isolate the mansion.  
-One step at a time,- Lambo interrupted him, -Fist we go in and destroy the bollards, without Flames we can't do much. And we have less than twelve hours before the Estraneo try and call again.  
-That if the Incognito haven't been able to send a warning message.- Fran said.  
-In that case, we have it up our asses anyway.- Levi grunted. Kikyo came out of the woods again and said: -Let's synchronize our watches.- a few rapid clicks, -Good. We're at less than half an hour of walk from the mansion. In twenty five minutes exactly, the covering will begin, and five minutes later we'll start with the medium distance attack. Skull, you better go, you'll be the first of us to fight.- the ex Arcobaleno got up, and Viola with him. Everyone stared at her, and she explained: -I want to have my eyes on you. If Reborn and Xanxus are waiting for support from this side and you don't show up, we're more screwed than we are now.  
-Ahn-ha. Skull, you can't really complain,- Kikyo said, stopping the upcoming protest, -You haven't been really reliable in the past.  
-Come on, let's go.- Viola said, pulling Skull by an arm. They disappeared in the bushes before Lambo had the time to say goodbye. Kikyo said: -In... thirty two minutes precisely, the close fighters will enter the battlefield. As soon as the bollards will be destroyed, we'll start our attack.  
-Well, well, that's a plan. Let's go.- Byakuran said, and they started to walk.

-Listen, I'm starting to be pissed. A lot.- Skull said, -Do you get it that this time I'm not running away?  
-I get it.- Viola dryly answered.  
-So let me go, I'm faster than you. You are slowing me down.- Viola stopped and he bumped into her: -Never alone on a battlefield.- she stated.  
-I have Cloud Flames, it is my nature to be alone.- Skull answered, towering over her. He was starting to feel really pissed.  
-And I am a Lightning Guardian, I attract threats. But I don't like to say bullshit like “I'll be by your side to protect you”. Do you get me too?- Viola sighed, then she took him by his shoulders: -Listen. If something was to happen to me, it won't make a difference. But a good gun over three is an abyss, and you're the only one coming from here. We can't be uncovered.- Skull looked at her, then he nodded. They walked fast to the mansion, and when they arrived the dynamite throwing had already begun. Gokudera, seemingly, had given his beloved explosives to an army of people from the Varia, and there was a line of throwers. Skull went near to someone he knew: -Belphegor. Skull reporting for duty.- the blond interrupted himself for a second to look at his watch, then he threw some dynamite.  
-In a minute it will be your turn. Where's Froggy?  
-On his way. He's alright.- Skull answered, then he elbowed Viola, who rolled her eyes.  
-Ushishishishi, the Prince wasn't worried.  
-Go, go, go!- Reborn's voice crackled from Belphegor's microphone, and Skull went forward, taking out his gun, followed by a few members of the Varia Squads.  
-Bel senpai.- Fran greeted. Belphegor replied: -It was about time.- without moving his eyes from the battlefield, but his shoulder clearly relaxed. He turned around quickly, glanced at him, then he launched himself in the battle. Lambo looked at his watch: -It's not time for the other attack!- he observed.  
-Ahn-ha. Surprise effect, I suppose.- Kikyo commented, following Belphegor with his eyes. The Prince was throwing an insane amount of knives. Byakuran, Levi and Viola got ready to jump as soon as the time arrived. Lambo felt a hand taking his and turned around; Fran looked almost naked without his signature hat, and his eyes let out a small amount of fear.  
-If he comes back, I'm telling him that I love him.- Fran said in a shaking voice.  
-When. Not “if”, when.- Lambo corrected him.  
-Don't say this, it brings bad luck.- Fran's hand went to his ear and he said: -Close attack, now!

Fighting beside Kyoya was almost pleasant, Dino thought. His whip snapped a few centimetres from where one of Hibari's tonfas had just broken an elbow, and together they made way beneath the enemies. They were advancing slowly but constantly, and Dino suppressed a vague shiver of pride for the fighter his pupil had become: from being an aggressive young boy, he had become a calm and methodic warrior, who didn't waste his energies but dosed them with precision to cause the maximum damage with the slightest effort.  
His whip caught the neck of an enemy and Dino shoved him on the ground effortlessly; one of Hibari's tonfas impacted on the back of his head, knocking him out.  
Some chaos came from behind them, and Dino turned around: Levi was coming forward with the grace of a siege weapon, unprofessionally smashing fists that were charged with the power of his big body. -Boss, behind you!- Romario yelled, and just Dino's fast reflexes avoided him to be hit by the roundhouse kick with which Lussuria had just saved his ass.  
Something that looked like a small bison holding a piece of furniture broke into the crowd of enemies with a mighty yell; Viola's improvised shield exploded after being hit with a spiked mace, but the aggressor was promptly blinded with one of the remaining splinters.  
-Could you be a little more careful, please?- Dino yelled at her and was readily ignored: Vola stole the spiked mace from her enemy's hands, used it against him and moved a few metres at her left. Some men who were aiming at Dino changed their minds and headed towards her. The blond muttered a curse and went to save her, but Hibari shoved him at the opposite side. Skull yelled: -I'll do it!- Dino caught a guy that was about to hit one of the Rain Squad from behind, trying to convince himself that Viola was just doing her job. At his side, Hibari caught a man and pointed a tonfa at his throat: -Where are the bollards?- he asked. Dino gestured at Romario, and they both went at Hibari's sides to protect him from upcoming attacks. They came at them in no time.  
-In... in the main dining room.- the man answered, -Let me go.  
-Herbivore.- the loathing was dripping from Hibari's voice. A dull thud and Dino shivered, understanding that the man's skull had just been broken. Without looking at his boyfriend, Dino managed to get close to Squalo: -The bollards are in the main dining room.- the swordsman nodded and answered: -Second story, I think. VOOOIII!- without sparing another word, he went back to the fight. There was nothing more Dino could do, so he resumed his fighting.

-Third door on the right, we'll keep them busy!- Viola said, taking her place beside Levi at the beginning of the corridor. To avoid wasting precious minutes, Squalo had taken her away from the battle to have her show him the way; the corridor had two ways in, but the southern stairs were crushed thanks to Gokudera's dynamite, placed after a not-so-gentle suggestion by Xanxus, but one way in had to be kept open, at least for the moment.  
As it was logical to suppose, the Incognito soldiers started to shoot from down up: -Shit, there's no way out.- Levi commented, hiding behind a wall.  
-We just have to resist until the bollards have been destroyed. Fuck, why didn't we bring with us some asshole with a gun?  
-Ushishishishi, a Prince needs no gun.- Belphegor giggled.  
-Bel!- Levi called, relieved, -How did you get here?  
-I climbed the drainpipe.- he answered as if it was nothing, -Then I broke it.- without saying anything else, Belphegor leaned forward and threw his knives. Screams of pain came from the stairs, while the Bloody Prince laughed his crazy laughter.  
From the dining room came a round of gunshots, and a vague buzzing sound no one had noticed before suddenly stopped. -Oh, yeah.- Levi commented, but before he could take out his Box Weapon a thunderous roar informed him that Bester had been released. The enormous liger went down the stairs, tearing everyone it met in pieces.

The ring on Dino's finger enlightened, and the blond cheered: -Yes! They did it!- Hibari didn't lose any time speaking. He immediately summoned Roll, but before he could give him any instructions a gigantic shadow engulfed the area in darkness.  
A round of automatic gunshots, and Dino fell to his knees, a deafening whistle in his ears.


	14. Power Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unexpected ally for the enemies.  
> Viper risks it all.  
> Someone's about to destroy themself.

Tsuna had been feeling oppressed, fed up, almost pregnant, even if it was a crazy definition.  
He felt his own Flames pushing to come out, but Verde's bollards were keeping them in, and the sensation was less than pleasant.  
The fact of not being physically strong enough to fight without his Flame was only making it worse.  
He had been hiding behind a bush, feeling a coward, with his anxiety suffocating him together with the push from his Flames, protected by some members of the Varia Squads, asking himself if there could be something worse and immoral than pushing to begin a war and then stay out of the battlefield, useless and impossible to use, while the others were risking their own lives because of him.  
Gokudera had left to fight as soon as the close-combat squads had been destroyed the doors of the mansion, saying goodbye with a hurried kiss, his thirst for blood already pumping in his veins.  
Almost all his beloved ones were in that building, dodging bullets and explosives and who knows what else, and he who was the one who had ordered that colossal battle was sitting in a safe place, far from the enemy.  
A hand was put on his shoulder: -Sawada Tsunayoshi.- Mukuro said, and Tsuna looked up to him. The man was bent, leaning on his unmissable trident, and a slight breeze moved his hair on the top of his head and his long ponytail. The right eye, who had lost his sight on the Six Reigns, was white and dead. -Don't feel guilty. Nothing of what you are doing is driven by selfishness. We wouldn't be here if you didn't care to save me.  
-I know, and I don't regret taking your side. But I feel useless.  
-As soon as the bollards will be destroyed, you can go into the battlefield.- Mukuro gave him a glimpse of his malicious yet sweet smile, and Tsuna felt a little better. He had read between the lines what Mukuro could not express plainly: the illusionist was feeling as guilty as him. He knew that he, even if he was fierce, was a victim, and as such he couldn't help but feeling like a waste of space, a common object by now eroded by the passing of time that deserves to be forgotten on a shelf just because of his uselessness. But Tsuna couldn't agree with this point of view: Mukuro was a survivor, a man who didn't act because of avenge as he wanted to make believe, but carried on his mission pushed by some kind of altruism. He had been tortured, experimented on, and had sacrificed his freedom, aware of the fact that he would have been imprisoned, to save at least his friends. And in that moment, he knew that a big part of the Vongola Alliance was fighting for him, and the thought tormented him.  
When Verde had captured him and secluded him in the Vindice's ex prison, and the Vongola had intervened with the Cavallone to set him free, the first words he had said to Tsuna had been: “It wasn't worth it”. They didn't talk about this anymore, not openly, but Tsuna had made a long speech where he had explained that it wasn't just for him, that other people could be in danger if Verde's thirst for knowledge was so big that he had attacked a person who had defended him during the Arcobaleno Conflict, and only at that point Mukuro had stopped to complain about the war plans.  
To be honest, he had given up when Tsuna had said a name: Fran.  
Even though Mukuro often proudly said he had no fatherly feelings towards the boy, Tsuna knew he would have stepped into fire to protect him if it had been necessary. And he also knew from Romario that during the medical treatment Mukuro had talked in his sleep as if he was seeing again his past experiences: the illusionist had been left to the care of the Cavallone's medical team, and during the treatment they had heard him mutter some worrying things. Michael, Dino's Mist Guardian, had taken advantage of his weakness to search his mind and had found out that Verde had in his aim Fran too, and was looking for him in every way.  
Lambo had never suspected that none of the passengers of the plane that had taken him and Fran to the Varia was a real traveller. They were all Vongola's affiliates, paid to check that everything went well, and the public transport had been approved because the chances that Verde would think that his target would use it to travel were really low, as calculated by the Varia Intelligence. When the phone had ringed in the middle of the night, and Lambo had informed Tsuna that they had arrived safe and sound, Tsuna had thanked all the Gods he knew.  
Together with Reborn and Colonnello, who knew Verde very well, he had filed a list of possible targets. Two of them were in that moment in Varia Mansion: Fran and Lambo. Tsuna had pleaded Reborn not to take his Lightning Guardian into the fight, but the killer had said that there was no way to do so. At the time, Tsuna had thought that Reborn was one hell of an insensitive, to risk Lambo's life as if it was worth nothing, but when he had met him again he had realised that Reborn was right. And feeling the hitman trembling at his side on the helicopter that was taking them to Livorno, smell the bitter scent of his sweat even though it was cold and seeing his knuckles go white when they had lost contact with Byakuran and the others had convinced him of another thing: willing or not, Reborn was madly in love with Lambo. And he dreaded anything that could happen to him.  
Dull, hard and still, far from that vague aura of mocking that was his signature, he had been silent until Kikyo had managed to get back in touch and had said that everyone was alright. Only at that point he had started to plan with Squalo a three-times attack to destroy the bollards. But the determination that he had showed when he had entered the battlefield, shooting single, distanced shots, one more lethal than the previous, had made Tsuna understand that he was ready to die if that would have saved Lambo's life.  
While he meditated about how much Lambo acted like a catalyser for all the people surrounding him, Tsuna felt a flame in his veins. Mukuro, who had kneeled beside him, whispered: -Oya, oya, now it's time.- Tsuna didn't bother to reply. His X-Gloves caught fire, so did his forehead, and without wasting one second more, the Tenth Vongola Boss entered the battle, pushed by his will to save and protect the ones he loved.

-Boss!- Levi called, -We're going downstairs! Then we'll blow up the stairs!- Xanxus and Squalo came out of the room where the bollards had been, now housing only a bunch of waste, and ran down the stairs, which were covered in corpses, torn by Bester.  
-VOI! Belphegor, blow them up!- Squalo commanded. Laughing, Belphegor opened his Box Weapon; Mink fled towards the upper level, spreading red Flames, and the stairs collapsed on themselves, almost brushing Levi in their fall.  
-DINO!- Viola yelled, and Squalo turned around. A figure with blond hair was lying on the ground, and a strain of blood was spilling from his ear. Beside him, Hibari was chasing away one enemy after the other, hitting them with his tonfas, but he was slow, drained from the battle. Viola went at his side, allowing him to slow down: his Box Weapon was on his shoulder, awaiting for orders, but Hibari seemingly didn't have time yet.  
-Take him away!- the Cloud Guardian grunted, then commanded: -Roll, Cambio Forma.- the tiny porcupine multiplied himself, every clone of it enlarged and all together they attacked, knocking out the enemies. -Make them move away.- Hibari added, falling on his knees, exhausted at last.  
-Who...?- Viola asked, then she noticed that Gokudera and Yamamoto were on Roll's trajectory.  
Lambo came into what was left of the main ballroom, riding Gyudon; he caught his two fellow Guardians just in time to save them, then the gigantic bull mooed so loudly it made glass shatter. Many men of the Incognito turned around to look at him, and they followed when he went out. Viola stepped forward to follow them and protect him, then Dino moaned; she hesitated, looked at her Boss and then at the hole in the wall where Lambo had just disappeared. Under her eyes, Gokudera let out a bellowing scream and went through it, ready to defend his son and friend. Viola turned towards Dino, who was slowly waking up in Squalo's arms.  
-The hell did happen?- he asked softly, a hand on his ear.  
-That Colonnello dumbass.- Hibari answered, -He nearly caught you with a blast.  
-VOI! Cavallone, you fucking scared me!- Squalo scolded him, embarrassingly punching his head. Dino protested and awkwardly giggled, then looked at Viola, who still hadn't talked, and his blood froze.  
The woman was standing still, pale. Her spiked mace had fallen from her hand, and her Box Weapon was about to end in the same way. Then, Hibari kicked her not-so-gently on her ankle: -React! Or are you another damn herbivore?- she stared at him, puzzled, and Dino tried to look behind his own head to see what had shocked her so much.  
-Let him go.- Viola eventually said, in a thin voice that echoed in the void of the empty ballroom: thanks to Lambo, the battle was now taking place in the garden. Squalo told himself he had to compliment the boy for the strategy: in the large garden there would have been fewer hiding places, so it would have been difficult for the Incognito to set up some traps, and the Vongola would have been able to fight at full strenght without being afraid of having the building fall on them.  
He helped Dino to sit up, then he turned around and followed Viola's glance. A man was keeping Skull as a hostage; Squalo asked himself why that man looked oddly familiar.  
-Enrico Bovino.- Xanxus' voice said, and Squalo was puzzled seeing him not being in the centre of the battle. For sure, he would never imagine he was there to check on him.  
-Dad, let him go.- Viola said again. A gunshot reached her at her shoulder, and she fell with a muttered hiss. Seeing her arching body, Dino remembered why the Bovino were so badly seen: thirsty for power, always ready to lick the right ass, never asking themselves a question, they treated their related ones as they were beasts. Men to train in particular fields, women to be considered just as mere reproductive systems, everyone could be sacrificed if they were to become a weight. Apparently, that also applied when it came to the boss' daughter.  
The thud of Viola's body hitting the floor was followed by the neigh of Scuderia, while Dino unleashed it from his Box Weapon.  
Skull bowed his head with a sudden movement, barely avoiding his hooves that hit Enrico Bovino; the ex Arcobaleno escaped his grip and ran towards his allies, then something else happened, and the blood froze in everyone's veins.  
Squalo fell to the floor, unconscious.

-Verde, think about it.- Viper said in a persuasive tone, getting closer with her hands up. She had been holding herself back to avoid having to lose the use of her Flames, but after the bollards had been destroyed she had looked for Verde, convinced that she could solve the situation without any further waste of resources. The scientist looked at her from up down, without bothering to answer.  
-You're circled.- Viper added. She was using a big part of her illusionist power to concentrate the man's stare on herself, preventing him to notice Reborn who was moving to check on Lambo. She perceived Fran's anguish, due to the fact that Lambo, crushed by Gyudon behind the enemy lines, was showing no sign of life. Fran was cuddled into Belphegor's arms, and the latter for once wasn't acting tough. That was the only thing that could comfort him, since Viper was already too busy with Verde and what was left of her power was keeping Squalo's heart in line.  
-You are circled, Viper.- Verde said, sighing in distress, -Do you think I'm so stupid to believe you wouldn't attack us? The Estraneo are coming, and then it will be over for you.- suddenly, Verde turned around and made a small nod with his head. His Green Mosca came out of the woods and hit Reborn with a ray; the hitman fell on the ground with a growl, immobilized.  
-Nevertheless, it is not my interest to move war against you lot.- Verde went on, as if nothing had happened, -My main interest is science. So I'm offering you a bargain.  
-We're not bargaining with you, you bastard!- Gokudera yelled. Tsuna, at his side, didn't move a muscle. He knew that reinforcements for the Incognito were coming, but for sure Verde's bargain would have been unacceptable.

Reborn crawled towards Lambo, ignoring the pain that had filled his body: the Green Mosca operated with Lightning Flames, that had hardened all his muscles. He was struggling to breathe, his chest compressed, and every muscle of him was screaming with cramps. But if Lambo would have been severely hurt, he would have needed to help him as soon as possible. That, hoping that Gyudon, falling, didn't kill him on the spot. Reborn suppressed that horrid thought and only focused on his going on, slowly and carefully. He tried to ignore Verde's words: -I just want a few of your people. You have some extraordinary elements among your ranks, and I want to study them. Vongola Decimo, you know who I am talking about.  
-I am not willing to negotiate, Verde.- Tsuna answered. The calm in his voice masked his outrage. Reborn, who before meeting him would have simply calculated the slighter damage and negotiated then accepted the pact, was pushed forward by his pride towards his former student: without being aware of it, without even meaning it, Dame Tsuna had pushed himself in the hearts of everyone who knew him, from Enma that had gained a new self-awareness to even Xanxus, who little by little and without anyone noticing had smoothed some aspect of his personality. And to Reborn, who had learnt that sometimes there's nothing more important of the happiness and well-being of the people you love.  
-Verde...- Viper tried again. She and Verde had always been quite close to each other, and in reason of their past friendship she hoped to find a breach in him. They were both loners, both more interested in their gains than in the rest of the world, they had often found themselves agreeing over some major matters, and Viper hoped she could make him understand that this time he had gone just too far with his plans.  
Then, a blinding white ray hit her between her eyes, in the spot where the sixth chakra is traditionally positioned, and Viper tottered. A sensation of insecurity and uselessness waved on her, leaving her weakened and doubtful about everything, even the effective existence of the universe. She lost sight of Squalo, who had lived in a corner of her mind since their conversation about his heart, he lost sight of Fran's spasmodic search for a sign of life in Lambo, she was emptied of his anguish and even Reborn's firm crawling towards the young Bovino disappeared. It was dark, even though it was still daytime and the yellowish light of the upcoming storm traced with extraordinary clearness the profiles of objects and people; it was dark and nothing more was available to her mind.  
Viper's Flames had been completely sealed.  
Then, the ground started to violently shake.

-Boss.- Levi said, recognizing the trace of Xanxus' wrath, then he ran towards the mansion, ignoring everything that was happening outside of it. Xanxus' wrath was almost touchable in the vibration, caused by his uncontrolled Flames that were emerging spontaneously; a crack opened in the ground, and Levi jumped over it without even noticing, focused on his purpose of reaching his Boss and help him in any possible way.  
On the doorstep he bumped against Dino Cavallone, who heavily tottered and nearly fell. Levi grabbed him by his arm and growled: -Where is he?  
-Levi, come on, we need you!- Cavallone replied. Levi heavily stepped in the darkness, trying to get his eyes used to it.  
-Squalo. Squalo. Wake up. Squalo.- Xanxus' voice was a litany, bereft of any inflexion. He was shaking the swordsman, holding him by his shoulders, but his silver head sloppily fell back on a shoulder and was only moving because of Xanxus' movements.  
-Xanxus, leave him, you're going to break his neck.- Romario said, then he stepped forward and placed both hands on Xanxus' shoulders; a tiny glimpse of blue Flames appeared and the man let himself being carried back as if he was hypnotized.  
-You can't do anything, leave this to Skull. Everything is gonna be alright.- Skull said, then he started to perform a cardiac massage. Viola, beside him, was holding her shoulder where an improvised bandage had been cast. Her face was strained with tears and distorted by the suffering.  
-What happened, Boss?- Levi asked. Xanxus didn't reply, but took out his guns: -Where's Viper?- he only asked.  
-She's outside, Verde hit her. I don't know what...- Xanxus pushed him aside with his shoulder; on the sleeve of Levi's jacket a small burn appeared. He turned around to follow him, but Cavallone pulled him in the opposite direction: -Levi, I'm begging you, we need you here!  
-Can't you see him?- Levi growled in response, -If he doesn't stop, he's going to destroy himself!  
-You have to help us kickstart Squalo!- Dino yelled. The desperation in his voice was clear, but Levi caught the hidden meaning of the matter: if Squalo was dead, Xanxus had lost a lot of his reasons to live. And if Xanxus had lost his reason to live, that meant that he would destroy everyone and everything that had the misfortune to cross his path, only stopping when his Flames would have burned him whole.  
Squalo was the gravitational centre of the Boss' mental sanity, and Levi knew it very well.  
-I'm not powerful enough.- he objected.  
-No, and neither is Viola. But maybe, together you are.  
-Uncle Lev!- Viola called, in tears, -Please!  
-Levi, if you can help you better do it now!- Skull yelled, his hair unkempt and wet and his face shiny with sweat, focused on the effort of keeping the rhythm of the cardiac massage.  
-Cutiepie. Can you do this?- Levi asked, kneeling beside Squalo.  
-Of course I can, I'm fine.- she answered, even though her eyes said just the contrary.  
-Let's try.- Levi decided, and Skull stepped aside. Viola's hands found Levi's on Squalo's chest, and the Flames started to flow.  
Squalo's body didn't even shiver.


	15. Loaded Gun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trying to revive Squalo.  
> Xanxus has lost his reason to live.  
> Lambo doesn't look good either.

-YOU BASTARD!- Xanxus roared, coming out of the mansion with both his guns in his hands. He headed towards Verde, not caring about the possibility of being hit by some of the survivors from the Incognito and Bovino Families: in fact, he was giving out such mortal threat vibes that they wouldn't be a problem. His Wrath Flames engulfed his body in a lethal cocoon, and no one in their right mind would have dared to come closer; even Verde slightly flinched.  
-WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?- Xanxus roared; Tsuna saw a possibility and caught it: -He hit Viper with his Green Mosca!- he yelled. Xanxus turned towards the machine and with a rapid gesture he raised a hand and shoot at it, destroying it.  
-Viper... Viper, can you hear me?- Fon anxiously called. I-Pin was sitting next to him, terrorized: she had never seen her master losing his usual aplomb. Viper was laying in Fon's arms with her eyes widened, she was breathing and her beat was regular, even if very slow, yet she didn't seem to react to any kind of stimulation.  
-I can't feel her Flames.- Fon said, looking at I-Pin with his eyes filled with tears, and she felt even more uncomfortable: she would have loved to ease her master's sorrow, but she was completely useless. A vague shiver crossed her spine, something that for some reasons reminded her of her childhood and of some of Tsuna's most spectacular mental breakdowns, but she shuddered it away: this wasn't the time to focus on herself, she had to do something. To keep her hands busy, she put them on Viper's body and looked for her vital signs: her condition remained unchanged.  
-Xanxus, what do you think you're doing?- Verde asked, after a brief moment of fear, -The Estraneo are behind you, and if you think you...- Chrome emerged from beneath the Vongola group, her head held high, her trident in her hand. On her face there was a fierce expression, as distant as it could be from her teenage-years' shyness; she raised her trident and waved it, and from the woods, the house and the cellar, other six Green Mosca came out. Xanxus, without even missing a beat, shot them and destroyed them one after the other. Verde stepped back, but the Varia Boss turned his back towards him as if the scientist was no longer a matter of his interest, then he went away from the mansion.

-Froggy, what's happening? What's wrong with the Boss?- Belphegor asked, scared: to him, Xanxus was some kind of a fatherly figure, even if he wouldn't admit that to anyone, and seeing him so distressed left him in terror. It was as if he could somehow sense the aura of damnation that was lingering upon his Boss: he seemed to have lost his will to live, even more than way back when the Sky Vongola Ring had rejected him, and knowing him he was likely to look for an epic death.  
And Belphegor dreaded the idea of not seeing him again.  
-I'm trying to understand.- Fran whispered, held close in his arms; Belphegor was holding him too strongly, but the illusionist didn't complain. First of all, he was used to physical pain, and second he understood that, for once, Belphegor was feeling so bad that he had the need to have his support. He looked inside Xanxus' mind, trying to ignore his death wishes and his longing to murder that were filling his conscious part, and he saw the clear image of Squalo falling to the floor. He felt the sensation of his chest under Xanxus' hand as if he was the one touching it, and he didn't find any heartbeat. He made a small moan of surprise and fear: -What?- Belphegor asked.  
-Squalo senpai... he... he...- Fran shoved his face against Belphegor's chest, trying to concentrate a little bit more. When the Boss had came out of the mansion, he had asked Verde “what did you do to HER”, so Viper had to be personally involved. He went on, trembling, almost exhausted, and he found the memory of a conversation.

“Boss, you called?”  
“Yes. Squalo is sick. I think it's his heart. Keep him alive.”  
“It will cost a lot.”  
“I don't fucking care. You'll send me the bill. Go talk to him now.”

Fran stepped back from Belphegor, and the blond looked at him, pale and scared. His bangs had stuck to his forehead, and a spark of his blue eyes came from behind it. Fran sculpted the memory of that sight in his mind, in case this was the last time he saw Belphegor, then he dismissed the hug and said: -I have to get into the mansion.

-Come on, a little bit more...- Dino said, frantically grasping Hibari's arm; the latter shook him off. The Kickstarting has been going on for five minutes: Levi was pale and looked exhausted, Viola was biting her lip so hard that blood was spilling, so not to faint, and still Squalo wasn't giving any sign of life.  
Hibari quickly pondered: until a few hours before he would have left, thinking that it was a useless waste of time, to try and bring back to life a random dude, moreover. He would have been happy to take advantage of Xanxus' rage to go back to fighting and kill some other herbivore. But when he had seen Dino fall to the ground like a puppet whose threads have been cut, something had moved inside of him.  
He had felt the same pain he remember from the dreary day of his childhood when he had seen his parents being thrown out of the window, he had recalled the anguish hours, held up in the void, looking down at their corpses on the street, he had remembered his rage towards Fon that had saved him, because what was the meaning of his arrival then, and not before? He had promised himself he would have never arrived too late, and yet that dreary “too late” had come so fast that it was already in the past. He had shoved himself against the enemies, hoping he could die, and then lie for eternity by the side of that man to whom he had never had the time to confess his own feeling, even if he said every day how much he, Dino, loved him, Kyoya.  
And even now, that he had found out that Dino was just unconscious, the world still hadn't regained his cold and logical balance. Hibari had felt Xanxus' wrath in his own veins, he had welcomed it as if it was his, and had understood more that he would have wanted to.  
For a second he despised himself for his own weakness: he was so addicted to Cavallone that the mere thought of losing him was destroying him. Then he realised that living with that fear was nothing but another challenge and he accepted it as a fact.  
He let the tonfas fall, put his hands in Squalo's chest and unleashed his Flames.

-Ta...- Verde begun, the something hit his abdomen, making him fall. He looked down and so an almond-eyed girl who wore two funny braids that was looking at him, terrified.  
-Broccoli... monster...- the girl muttered. On her forehead, two pints that Verde had noticed disappeared, to become an only little rose that reminded him one of the symbols of the Mahjong cards.  
Verde understood what was happening a second too late: he knew about I-Pin and the Pinzu Bomb, but he also thought it had been sealed. He tried to push her away, but she grabbed his arms.  
A blinding explosion erased the first drops of rain that were starting to fall from the menacious clouds that were lingering in the sky, then Verde lost any contact with the world.

Tsuna had the time to hesitate and ask himself how the hell did Fon came up with the idea of using his pupil as a human bomb, then he realized that having Verde out of the games they could react. He stepped forward, evoking Natsu, and threw himself in a bunch of Incognito men, so fast that they couldn't react. He knocked out all of those that were in his range, then he went on; he was sure his Guardians were covering his back, and he knew he could count of them so that none of the enemies would have waken up. He closed inside him the regret for being forced to take some lives, and reached the Zero Point Breakthrough, then he caught a glimpse of Reborn reaching Lambo; he saw him hold out a hand on the boy's torso, his face contracted into an expression of anguish and pain, he saw him crawl upon the boy and then fall over him, exhausted.  
The Flames flowed into his veins, the rage for those power-thirsty bastards that had caused his youngest Guardian to be hurt, maybe worse, that had caused his beloved tutor's pain, that were spreading so much desperation in the worlds; flames of ice spread at his feet, sealing some of the Incognito in ice blocks. Then, Tsuna turned towards Xanxus and saw him standing alone, fighting agaist the Estraneo, who had arrived to support their allies. He lifted himself and fled towards him; flying over the battlefield, he saw Belphegor helping Gokudera to stand up, and he sadly said to himself that maybe something good was going to be built from that horrible thing.

With the help of the Propagation, the Lightning Flames were flowing much easier; the Kickstart was a practice that requested a purity of Flames so high that nor Levi nor Viola could ever dream of. But, pushed by Hibari, they had managed to make it work; now, however, there was another problem: Squalo's heart didn't seem to be able to work on his own. The swordsman was still unconscious, he was barely breathing and his heart was working on and off like a broken machinery.  
Skull was performing an energetic cardiac massage, in the hope of stimulating Squalo's heartbeat enough to make it find its own rhythm, but so far no luck: both Dino and Romario had gotten close to him to have him explain how it was done so that they could substitute him when he would have been too tired to go on.  
-He must have had some problem already!- Viola said, her sweaty hands in her hair.  
-He had a transplant some months ago.- Levi informed her; he was sitting close to Squalo and he was trembling with fear for his Boss and tiredness.  
-Rejection of transplant?- Hibari asked. He was standing near the two, his gaze locked on the back of Dino's head.  
-Likely.- Viola said, -It was irresponsible of him to engage in a battle!  
-That's Squalo, take it or leave it.- Levi answered, shaking his head, -It happened when Verde hit Viper. I suppose she was keeping him under control.  
-Shit. That means we need another illusionist to substitute her, we can't go on like this forever.- Viola said. Skull fell on the floor beside him, breathless: -No, we can't. Dino has taken my place, and Romario can take his after, but the muscles feel the effort. Sooner or later...  
-Squalo senpai?- a voice called. The mansion was dark, due to the shadow of the upcoming sunset and the raging storm outside.  
-Fran?- Levi guessed.  
-Levi senpai, I think I can help you.- Fran answered, then his shiny eyes appeared in the dark.  
-Have you tried this already?- Skull asked.  
-No, I didn't. But Shishou taught me the theory. Chrome san could need this. I can try.  
-Do!- Dino blurted, -Or not to do! There's! No! Try!  
-You idiot, does this seems like the right time to quote Star Wars?!- Viola scolded him, then she fell back; screaming had drained her remaining energy. Levi said: -We have no other choice, not right now. Fran, try it.- the illusionist nodded and crouched beside Squalo, then he closed his eyes and he focused on him.

Xanxus didn't mind who he was hitting.  
He just shot one bullet after the other, a Scoppio d'Ira after the other.  
He knew it, for fuck's sake, he knew it so well, that having feelings was a shitty idea. He knew that well, and yet he couldn't help it when it came to Squalo. And it had been a process so slow, so delicate, so patient, like the creation of a katana by an accurate artisan, that he didn't notice for a long time, and when he finally realized he cared about him he was so deep into it that he couldn't have gotten himself out, not even trying.  
He hit someone under their jaws with the back of his gun, and the sound of the victim's neckbone fracturing echoed through his arm.  
He went on, thinking at the first night of sex, halfway between brutal and embarrassed, when they bit each other and they weren't afraid of leaving bruises on each other, Squalo blushing after letting go a moan of pain, his sweaty yet cool skin under Xanxus' fingers when he caressed him to have him relax his muscles and ease his access.  
They used to put on their clothes turning their backs to each other, without saying a word, afraid that anything would sound inappropriate, and then they had slowly but constantly relaxed. Without knowing how it happened, one night Xanxus had realized he was in his own bed, still naked, beside Squalo, also still naked, and in the middle of an extraordinarily calm work discussion. At the time, he had just taken note of the fact that after sex they both seemed to think more freshly, and then those conversations had become a routine.  
Then, came the kisses.  
Xanxus shoved his gun in a random man's mouth and pulled the trigger, blowing his brains out.  
He had kissed Squalo for the first time to shut him up during a particularly hot intercourse, but they had quickly grown to something that put sex in the background. They had become a basic need, like eating or breathing, and before Xanxus could realize they had become used to linger at the end of any meeting, after all the others were gone, and allow themselves a kiss.  
Maybe that was the mistake, Xanxus said to himself while he shot two people with the same bullet, they say that prostitutes don't kiss their clients to avoid forming a bond. Maybe, Xanxus' mistake had been kissing Squalo. But could he call it a mistake, when it had taken their relationship to evolve so much that all it took to soothe Xanxus was a hug from Squalo? Was it a mistake, if after years when he had felt dead inside, eventually Xanxus felt alive? Was it a mistake, if the prize were those small, brief sparks of happiness?  
Squalo's face, enlighted by the first rays of sun at dawn, perched on the pillow after that night of carelessness after which they fell asleep together.  
Squalo's malicious smile when Xanxus said something peculiar only him could understand.  
Those rare, precious times when Squalo managed to free himself from the work and, instead of chugging a sandwich while filing paperwork, he sat at Xanxus' table and shared a meal with him.   
Gone.  
All of this was gone.  
Reality hit Xanxus' chest, and he cried out his frustration; his Flames erupted, consumed themselves and tore to pieces everything they met.  
Then, a sword appeared before him, and two arms held him tight. A body was pressed against his, but something was wrong. Was it only a mere matter of perspective, or was the sensation really strange?  
-Xanxus. Calm down, now.- that voice belonged to Yamamoto Takeshi.

-Lambo... Lambo, wake up.- Reborn called, his voice barely audible. Lambo's heart was beating, but the boy was in the middle of a red pond, drearily big, and was as pale as a ghost. Reborn looked into his pockets, looking for his Box Heiki: with that and his Sun Flames he could try to cure him somehow, at least avoid his conditions to get worse. He tried to move Gyudon pushing agaist him with his shoulder, bit the beast was unmovable.  
-Re...born...- Lambo muttered, then tried to breathe, -What...?  
-Someone hit Gyudon. It fell on you. But it's OK, I swear. Are you in pain?- Reborn asked. He thanked God for the face that Lambo's eyes were still closed: if he had seen him, he would have understood by his face that his last statement was a blatant lie.  
-No, just... my head.- Lambo slowly replied. In the meanwhile, Reborn's Box Heiki was nowhere to be found. -Did it throw me away?- the boy asked again, and Reborn felt the blood freeze in his veins.  
An enormous wagyu bull, weighting five hundred kilograms, should give him some sensations: the only explanation that came into his mind was that the boy's spine was most likely broken. Reborn cursed himself for allowing him to enter the battlefield, and for a second he hoped he could be the victim of Tsuna's rage, which would explode at the news.  
-Something... something like that.- he forced himself to answer, then he raised his head and yelled: -Ryohei! Lussuria! Someone!- Lambo whined, hearing him.  
-I think I hit my head.- he said, but he didn't raise his hands to massage it. Reborn called the two Sun Guardians once again, looking around hoping to see at least one of them coming, so he didn't notice Lambo finally opening his eyes. But he clearly heard him ask: -Reborn... I... I can't move my arms.

Fran searched inside Squalo's body, afraid that he wouldn't have been able to oblige his duty. But Mukuro and Chrome were in the middle of the battle, it wasn't the right moment to look for them and ask for a cram session. He finally managed to find his heart and took it in the waves of his mind; now he only had the difficult task to harmonize his heartbeat. It seemed impossible.  
Harmony... -Dino san.- Fran called, in his usual monotone voice. Dino grunted to make him understand that he was listening, and the illusionist said: -Stop for a second. Can you lend me some Flames?- Dino looked at him, puzzled, then he seemed to understand. Even if it was a risk, he interrupted the cardiac massage and struggled to produce some Flames; he was weak, and he couldn't manage to do almost anything; then, a coil of indigo Flames tangled with his orange ones, spontaneously harmonizing with them. Dino's Sky Flames flowed, mixed with Fran's and enveloped Squalo; the swordsman's frown disappeared, his face now serene, and his breath became regular.  
-I think it's enough.- Fran declared, then he bent over Squalo and gently shook him; the swordsman's grey eyes barely opened, and Fran said: -Squalo senpai, you won't be able to slice me for a while. Viper had some troubles, I took her place.- Squalo nodded. Dino exhaled a sigh of relief and fell to the ground, while Levi muttered that someone had to inform the Boss; the blond listened with half an ear Fran saying that he would have taken care of the task himself, then a series of dots connected in his mind and he got a sudden epiphany.  
-Kyoya, it wasn't you, right?- he asked. Hibari bit the inner side of his cheek, and eventually answered: -No.  
-Skull? Did you harmonize with me?  
-WHAT?!- Viola blurted, jumping up, then she fell back again, exhausted.  
-It wasn't my intention, I just wanted to... push you a bit.- Skull answered. Dino opened his mouth to reply something, when a sudden wave of static electricity invaded the air. Viola got up again and said: -Robin.- the earth shook behind their feet, and some rubble fell from the upper floor. Skull yelled: -Out of here, everyone!- without waiting for permission, he grabbed Viola and shoved her on his own shoulders; Levi was badly helped by Fran and Romario, while Dino and Hibari transported Squalo.  
-Skull.- Viola's voice called. The ex Arcobaleno, expecting another scorn, sighed, ignoring the pain at his back that was tormenting him since his bad landing and protested: -I'm helping you!  
-I know. Take me to Lambo. I beg you. Take me to my baby.


	16. Thunderbolt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lambo gets treatment.  
> Gokudera would like to have a mental breakdown, but there's no time.  
> Skull's giant squid appears, and he doesn't know if it's good news or not.  
> In the end, a demonstration of the principle for which if you see a joy you must not pick it up, it's not yours.

-Reborn, here I am!- Lussuria called. His usual dramatic tone had been abandoned: he had felt the killer's nervousness and he was shocked. Since he could remember, he had never seen Reborn losing his aplomb, so he had deduced that something really bad had happened. And, judging from the electricity that was filling the air, he could easily guess who was hurt.  
-Here, here, honey. It's alright, Mama Luss is here.- he said, kneeling beside Lambo; he faked a happy smile, trying to ignore the fact that the boy resembled more an old fabric doll than a human being, and he produced his Box Heiki. Pavone del Sereno appeared and looked at Lambo, who was heavily breathing and didn't move; Reborn was at his side, unsure on how to behave. Lussuria could read on his face the desire to touch Lambo, to offer comfort to him, but also the fear of possibly hurting him by doing so.  
-Reborn, what happened?- Lussuria asked.  
-Gyudon fell on him. Pain in his head, can't move his arms, doesn't feel anything from his neck down.- Reborn synthesized, faking coldness.  
-LAMBO!- Viola's cry was heart-breaking. Lussuria saw her getting down from Skull's shoulders and stumble to the boy, and he let her take his hand: -My baby... My love...  
-Mum...- Lambo answered, tears in his voice, then his chin trembled and he burst into silent tears; they were flowing along his cheeks, and the electricity of which Lambo was losing control was flowing from him to Viola and back again. The peacock howled a high note and Lussuria put a hand on Viola's shoulder: -Darling, can you keep the electricity under control? I have to check his neck.- the woman nodded, shivering. Behind her, Skull was looking at the scene, unable to help.  
Lussuria went close to Lambo and put his hands on the back of his head; he touched his spine, looking for damages, and didn't find any. Then he moved and touched the curve of his back and said: -I can't feel any damage on the vertebral cord. If we're lucky, his being unable to move could be due only to fractured limbs. We have to turn him around. We have to move Gyudon.  
-Lambo, ca...- Reborn was about to ask Lambo if he could call back his Box Weapon, but he stopped mid-sentence: it would have been impossible, since he wasn't able to move. He changed: -Can you stand strong for a while? We'll try to move Gyudon, so Lussuria will be able to help you.- Lambo looked at him, then at Viola, then at Lussuria, who smiled encouragingly. The terror in the boy's eyes caused him a urge to scream; at last, Lambo nodded and Lussuria gestured for the others to come close to him. In a very gentle voice, he said: -If his back is alright, or if some nerves still have some sensibility, it will hurt like hell. Don't. Hesitate. For nothing in the world. We have to move that bull away as soon as possible. Understood?- Reborn, Viola and Skull nodded, and together they took place behind Gyudon's back and, at Lussuria's signal, they started to push.  
The bull moved and Lambo cried out in pain. Viola started to cry but she didn't stop pushing; anyway, Lussuria was starting to get worried: it was taking too long, and if Lambo had had some sever bleeding it could have passed unnoticed for too long. The peacock was a very powerful creature, but he almost entirely depended from Lussuria's diagnosis. Then, a known voice yelled: -AHO USHI!- and a powerful shove moved Gyudon enough to set Lambo's legs free.  
-I'm moving him!- said someone else, that Lussuria didn't recognize. He saw Lambo's feet passing on front of his eyes, then the bull was let fall again; he turned around, quick, and commanded the peacock to block any bleeding it could detect. He suggested the femoral and inguinal veins, and the peacock nodded; in a few seconds, the blood flow stopped.  
-Belphegor?!- Lussuria said, astonished, finally looking at the person who had moved Lambo.  
-Hey, Cow, don't you die on me. Froggy would be unhappy, and the Prince can't tolerate it.- Lambo slightly moaned and Lussuria said: -Bel chan, turn him face down.- he set aside the astonishment for the fact that Belphegor hadn't complained and bent over Lambo.  
Viola kneeled down beside her son and took his hand again; at the other side, Gokudera did the same, slightly jumping for the electric shock he received. Lussuria examined Lambo's spine, taking in Viola's litany of kind words: -Mamma is here. My love, Mamma is here. It will be alright. You'll see, it will be alright, I swear.  
-Lambo, don't play tricks on us, huh?- Gokudera added, -If you do, I'll get angry!- with the utmost astonishment, Lussuria saw Belphegor's hand barely moving on Lambo's head in an imperceptible caress. Behind him, Skull let go of his helmet; without waiting for a permission, he hugged Reborn, who clutched on him, forgetting any past disagreement.  
-His spine is sane.- Lussuria said, gesturing to Kuu, -His pelvis, a leg and both ankles are broken. The arms are in pieces, no wonder he can't move them. Gokudera, can you find Ryohei? We need Garyu. Reborn, we could use you too.- Gokudera kissed Lambo's sweaty forehead, got up without a word and ran away, looking for Ryohei. Reborn looked into his pocket and finally found his Box Heiki; a chameleon that looked like Leon's twin brother came out and started to walk back and forth along Lambo's spine.  
-See? Everything is gonna be alright, I told you.- Viola said. Tears were flowing on her cheeks, and she accepted with gratitude the touch of Reborn's hand on her shoulder.

-Tsuna!- Yamamoto called, putting a fast asleep Xanxus on the ground. He heavily got up, determined to reach his friend, but exhausted for having nearly finished his Flames while calming the man down; he stumbled, and someone held him: -Baseball idiot. What's happening here?- Gokudera asked.  
-Xanxus destroyed half of the Estraneo alone. Tsuna is on the battlefield.  
-Did Enma arrive?  
-No news from him. But the Carcassa arrived, instead. We have to do something, Gokudera, Tsuna is alone against the Estraneo. And there's also that giant squid with the Carcassa, Basil can't fight for so long alone against it.  
-Didn't that squid belong to Skull? Skull is on our side!  
-BOSS!- Levi called, lurching towards them, barely held by Fran. He fell on his knees beside Xanxus and looked at him. Yamamoto said: -He's alive, he's just asleep. I stopped him before he could hurt himself too bad.- Levi sighed in relief.  
-Thank you.- he said, then he put his head on Xanxus' chest, exhausted. Gokudera called Uri and said: -We'll help Tsuna. If he asks about Lambo, he's with Reborn.  
-What happened?- Yamamoto asked, worried.  
-He's badly hurt. Lussuria is taking care of him, I sent Ryohei and Garyu too. But if Tsuna sees him like this, he'll go crazy.- Levi lifted his head and said: -I'll send someone to take the Boss away.- he got up, struggling.  
-Where are you going?- Yamamoto asked.  
-I'm going to kick my brother's ass.

-Skull sama.- Fran called. The ex Arcobaleno turned around and saw the illusionist standing there, his puzzled stare on Lambo. The boy was screaming, in pain. Lussuria had warned that the process would be painful, due to the heavy damage, but knowing it and seeing his suffering were two very different things. Skull got up and stood between Fran and Lambo: -What's happening?- he asked.  
-The... the Carcassa have...- Fran swallowed, -Your squid.- the ground trembled and Belphegor quickly said: -Froggy, come here.- the illusionist came close, shivering and trying to gain back some control, and Skull followed him with his eyes. Reborn said: -Go, you idiot. That thing is out of control, do you want us all to get killed?  
-I...- Skull sighed, jumping for the pain in his back: he must have broken a few ribs, but there was no time to get treatment. Reborn was right, Oodako was a tremendous beast and its arrival could decide the end of the battle. But Skull was unsure: he had had to abandon the beast to avoid getting caught by the Carcassa after betraying them, and if Oodako was angry at him, his intervention could have a bad reaction.  
Behind him, Lambo suddenly stopped screaming; his silence forced Skull to turn around. Fran had taken the boy's head in his hands and was slightly muttering a vaguely familiar lullaby; Lambo's breath was slow and regular.  
-He erased his pain.- Lussuria explained, throwing a proud glance at the green haired youngster, -Oh, our Fran!- the noise of something getting destroyed and falling into the sea made the ground shake. Skull looked at the promontory, still in doubt whether to intervene or not: he knew that Oodako had probably destroyed part of the rock hanging over the sea over which the mansion was settled, and he also knew that the squid was able to go on until they all fell into the sea, yet he hesitated.  
-GO, SHIT!- Viola yelled, -GIVE YOUR FUCKING LIFE A SENSE AND SAVE OUR ASSES!- Skull sighed.  
-You don't understand!- he screamed back, -I had to leave Oodako when I left the Carcassa! She hates me, I could worsen the situation!  
-Do we have any other possibility?- Reborn asked, then his chameleon jumped on his shoulder and he looked down at Lambo. Kuu had closed its tail and Garyu was leaning on Ryohei. Lussuria said: -We treated the worse damages. We can't do anything more, for now.  
-YOSH!- Ryohei called, -Fran, can't you do that thing that Mukuro did for Chrome?  
-I... I don't know, I...- Fran burst into tears, -I don't think so, I'm already keeping Squalo alive and I don't know if I can do the same for Lambo too! Lambo, I'm sorry!  
-Cut the crap, you idiot...- Lambo blabbered. Other rocks fell into the sea, and the earthquake that followed made the boy's face contract in a smirk of pain.  
-An illusionist.- Belphegor said, -We need another illusionist. Where's Mukuro?  
-I saw him before, he was fighting to the extreme against the Incognito.- Ryohei answered.  
-Skull, come on, make up your mind!- Reborn said, -Fran, can you contact Mukuro?- the illusionist didn't answer, bent over Lambo, in tears.  
-Give him peace!- Belphegor cried out, -I'll go. You check on Xanxus.  
-He's asleep.- Fran answered in an unfazed tone, -Tsuna Sawada is fighting against the Estraneo, Basil against the Carcassa.  
-I'll go to Tsuna.- Reborn decided, -Skull...  
-Yeah, I got it, alr...- Skull shut up. Viola had taken him by his arms. Her eyes were still swollen and filled with tears, but they burned. She said: -You always say that you're the great Skull, the immortal stuntman that even Death itself dread. Do you really have to fear a takoyaki?  
-Ushishishishi, blood is not water. Now I understand who you took your shitty sense of humour from, Lambo.- Belphegor said, then he called Mink; he took its tail and was transported towards one of the battlefields. Reborn leaned over Lambo, placed a kiss on his cheek and said: -I'll be back as soon as I can. Hold on.

-Oodako!- Skull thundered from the edge of the promontory, -What are you doing, bad girl?- the squid stopped, then let Delfino di Pioggia fall in the water. Basil called it back, and soon after he felt himself being pulled back; Iemitsu had carried him behind a boulder.  
-Let him try. It's his squid, after all, kora.- Colonnello said.  
-So, what's it doing with the enemy?- Iemitsu replied, his face contracted in a severe expression.  
-He had to abandon it five years ago,- Lal answered, -When he betrayed the Carcassa.  
-How do you know that, kora?  
-Unlike you lot, I like to be informed. I just asked him. And I also tell you that this time we can trust him. He won't leave us.- the squid made an enraged noise, but Skull didn't step back. His body was solid, more muscular than usual for the using of his special technique, and for once he resembled the powerful warrior he claimed himself to be. Basil yelled: -Behind you, Skull!- a burst of bullets passed next to Skull's head, but he didn't flinch.  
Colonnello appeared by his side, his still smoking gun in his hands; the bodies of the four members of the Carcassa that had tried to assault Skull from his back weren't even on the ground, that Colonnello had already settled with his back against Skull's.  
-I knew I could count on you.- Skull stated.  
-You're a dumbass. But I still got your back, kora.- Colonnello replied. He felt Skull's back trembling, but he didn't comment. If he had abandoned Falco, the beast would have ripped his guts in no time, so he understood his fear. That gigantic squid had almost crushed a dolphin, and even if Skull was inhumanly strong he sure would have lost against the sea monster.  
-And I got yours. Because that's what friends do, isn't it, Oodako?- the squid got closer and made another noise of rage, and Skull said: -I missed you, baby. They must have told you a lot of bad things about me. But you know I love you, darling, I would have never left if I could have.  
-Skull, I hope you don't flirt like this, kora.- Colonnello commented.  
-OUCH!- Skull cried out. Oodako had hit him on the side of his head.  
-Tell me if I have to shoot, kora.- Colonnello said, his voice trembling. He doubted he could hurt the beast with his bullets, but he would have tried or would have died trying.  
-Don't you even think about it!- Skull answered, stepping forward, -No one can touch my Oodako.- Colonnello turned around and was astonished to see that Skull was holding out a hand. After a blatant hesitation, the squid posed the end of a tentacle over it and the man kissed it. Then, in shock, he whispered: -Baby, what have they done to you?- Colonnello turned around and saw that the squid was covered in scars. He saw it squish, then a whip of red Flames hit her side and the beast screamed in pain.  
-HOW THE HELL YOU DARE?!- Skull yelled, then he jumped from the promontory towards the ship from which the Carcassa hadn't gotten off yet. They probably meant to get their way opened by Oodako and then join the winner side. But the things would have gone in a totally different way. Colonnello whistled, and Falco came and lifted him up. The ex Arcobaleno was carried over the ship and opened fire. He saw people jumping into the sea, some fall, hurt or dead, and focused on the front when he saw Skull getting onboard from behind, lifting himself up with a mighty shove. Then, Oodako lifted the ship up with one of its tentacles and crushed it in two. Skull jumped on the squid's head, let himself slip over his slippery body and started to kill the survivors one by one.  
Delfino di Pioggia went back into the water, followed by Scolopendra di Nuvola. Their joined effort, with Skull's blind fury and Colonnello's bullets, destroyed what was left of the Carcassa Family. Then, Skull came out of the water, still soaking wet, he took off his helmet and hugged Oodako, crying: -My baby, what have they done to you? I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry!- Colonnello allowed him a few minutes, then he got by him and put a hand on his shoulder.  
-Skull, let's go. We have to report to Iemitsu and see what we can do now, kora.- Skull nodded, and Oodako lifted both on the promontory. It wasn't a pleasant sensation.  
-Boss, kora.- Colonnello called. Iemitsu got closer and said: -Go past the mansion. There's Tsuna, in the forest, help him.  
-Roger, kora.  
-Iemitsu,- Skull asked, -Do you know where do we put the hurt ones?  
-We established an infirmary with the Mist and Sun Squads of the Varia. It's over there.- Iemitsu nodded towards a cleavage halfway up a nearby stone wall, that Oodako hadn't hit, luckily. Skull saw an half destroyed house and opened his mouth, but Iemitsu interrupted him: -Go to my son, you too. Don't let him die. He can't die.  
-I have to move a hurt person from the battlefield, first. He's between the Incognito and the Estraneo.  
-I couldn't care less, my son is risking his life!- Iemitsu yelled, and Skull took him by his elbow, rudely: -Yes, like all of us. But know, shithead, that the hurt person is Lambo. Lal told me about him, and I know for sure that Tsuna would want to know he's safe, first of all.  
-Then don't tell him!- Iemitsu replied, shaking his hand away. Skull turned his back to him and jumped on one of Oodako's tentacles: -You know what? Your son is a way better person than you. You arrogant prick.- without waiting for an answer, he had Oodako get them away.

Skull's head appeared from thin air over the promontory side. Fran and Viola, left alone with Lambo, jumped, and Viola let slip a: -The fuck of a fuck is that?  
-A magic carpet.- Skull answered, standing on the edge of Oodako's tentacle.  
-Oh, Christ, fuck you, you nearly gave me a heart attack!  
-Do you trust me?- Skull asked, holding out his hand. She slightly blushed and asked: -The hell...?  
-Do you trust me?- Skull repeated, sticking to the screenplay for Aladdin. Fran, Lambo and Viola gave him nasty looks.  
-Alright, alright, you are some pretty good killjoys, aren't you? Come on, let's take Lambo to the infirmary.- cautiously, Oodako lifted the boy up; Skull directed the squid and invited Viola and Fran to get on it as well, still thinking at his conversation with Iemitsu.  
Sure, he understood that the man was worried for his son, but he didn't seem to understand what kind of person Tsuna was. Skull couldn't say he knew him well, but he perceived without any doubt his attitude to help the others first, and then, maybe, himself. Somehow, Skull envied him; this altruism of his was a symptom of a strenght so big that didn't need no praising, while he kept going around looking for someone to call him great and constantly put his own life at risk to appear good. And he usually blatantly failed.  
It took Oodako less then a minute to take Lambo on the cleavage where the infirmary was, and the boy was soon admitted by the Sun Squad of the Varia. Fran jumped him to find out if Squalo was already there and promised he would have been right back.  
Left alone with Viola, Skull said: -You didn't answer, before. So, do you trust me?  
-You are one hell of a ball breaker, you know?- she replied, turning her back to him, her arm crossed, then she relaxed her pose: -Anyway, yes, I do. And I'm sor...  
-Good. Head down.- Skull interrupted her, then he threw himself over her and pushed her against Oodako's sloppy head.  
The earthquake of the explosion that hit them shook the entire area.


	17. Pull the Trigger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fran is hurt.  
> Belphegor is not pleased to find out.  
> Neither is Lambo.  
> Levi meets his brother.  
> Chaos Shot.

A constant whistle seemingly was all that was left of the world.  
That, and a dead weight on the chest.  
Then, Oodako moved, causing a vibration strong enough to remove the weight from Viola's chest, and she tried to focus. She opened her eyes, which she didn't recall to have closed, and she saw Skull, motionless with his arms wide spread, eyes white and open. From under his back, tiny strains of smoke were coming.  
-SKULL!- she cried out, and her own voice sounded distant and dumb. She moved to reach him, and Oodako's sloppy cranium waved under her feet, making her fall. In her sight, the half destroyed infirmary appeared. She cried out again: -ROBIN!

-Quick, quick, take him in!- a boy around twenty-five commanded; a lifeless body was put on the bed beside Lambo's, and the boy tried to spy beneath the members of the Sun Squad to see who he was.  
He had felt the quake coming from the explosion, but he didn't know where it came from, he only knew that the world had seemingly retorted on itself out of the blue.  
He was feeling his pain disappear little by little, and soon he was able to turn on his side.  
-FRAN!- he called. The illusionist didn't answer. His head, hatless, looked naked and somehow deformed, and his pale skin was even lighter than usual.  
-Calm down, we're treating you.- someone said, and Lambo felt a hand pushing him back on the hard camp bed.  
-How is he? What happened?- he asked.  
-There was an explosion,- someone answered, -He has been thrown against a tock. But he's alive, now we'll cure him.  
-Squalo. Superbi Squalo. Is he here?- Lambo asked.  
-Yes, he's in another room, but he's alright. He's just weak, we sedated him to avoid him coming back to the battle. Now try to calm down.  
-You have to check on him! Fran is keeping him alive!  
-Fran is stable.- another voice said, -Roberto, go check on Squalo sama, as a precaution.  
-Yes sir.- Lambo sat up; a sparkle of electricity crossed his horns.  
-You must save Fran.- he said.  
-He's stable, I told you. Let us work.- someone replied. Lambo got up from the bed, ignoring the protests of the Sun Squad. His attire was so menacing, however, that no one dared to stop him from going out.

Tsuna used what was left of his Flames to fly down to the ground. He had seen Gokudera and Yamamoto coming to help him, and he really needed to allow himself a small rest.  
The X-Burner lens had coldly calculated that the total number of his enemies was of a hundred and eighty people. He had manage to block twenty of them alone, then his Guardians had pushed him, but while he was going down the lens had informed him that other ninety-eight people were still standing.  
Still too many to be able to stand alone. They needed to step back, to gain back some energy, to rest and to discuss about the battle.  
He didn't know what had happened to most of his friends and allies, for some he feared the worst, which obviously wasn't helping his concentration.  
He put his foot on the ground badly, he stumbled and Gokudera held him: -It's alright, Tsuna, we're here with you. Belphegor is coming too. Be strong, my love.

-ENRICO!- Levi yelled. Enrico Bovino turned around heavily, a cheek black and blue for the kick he got from Scuderia. He managed to somehow smirk: -It's been a while, Luciano.  
-My name is not Luciano anymore.- Levi replied, growling.  
-Oh, yeah. Levi A Than. What an arrogant. Always been, after all.  
-And you've always been one giant turd in shape of a man.- Enrico didn't answer with words. He took out a Box Heiki from which a giant bull, covered with blood, came out, and Levi stepped back: -What have you done to it, you weird motherfucker?  
-I think you know how corridas work. Rodrigo, andale!- he commanded, and the bull started to charge against Levi. The man quickly took out his Box Heiki and called his Torpedine Fulmine: -Livya, GO!- he yelled, -Super Levi Volta!- the animal contracted mid-air and let out a powerful shock against Enrico's bull, but the animal didn't faint; it just got more enraged. Enrico laughed: -You damn idiot, did you really think that electricity could have any effect on the Box Heiki that belongs to the Bovino Family's Boss?  
-Shit.- Levi cursed, then he jumped at one side just in time to avoid the bull charge. He got up on his elbow and looked behind. Livya hit Rodrigo with its tail, and the bull tried to charge it, then let out a tremendous mooing and threw itself against Levi, again.

Oodako squirmed and moved; Viola grabbed Skull's lifeless body and tried to keep both in balance, then Skull suddenly took in a deep breath and said: -SHIT, it hurts!  
-Oh, thank God, you're alive!  
-Yes, I am, but screw me, I felt it!- Skull sat up, effortlessly keeping his balance. Viola nearly puked when she saw his badly hurt back: -Oh, hell, you need to go to the infirmary!  
-I don't think this is the right time.- Skull replied, amazed. Viola followed his stare and saw Lambo coming out of the house on his own legs, but her joy in seeing him standing was soon suffocated by fear: the boy was cocooned in a web of shining green Flames, and he stepped forward with a powerful stand.  
-Who was it? Who hurt my friend?- he asked.

-Oya oya, Belphegor.- Mukuro said. He and Chrome were fighting against the Incognito's last resistance, but they didn't seem to handle it well: they were only two against fifty people, and the ground was already covered in corpses; they were few and they were tired.  
-Pineapple, you have to go to Lambo. You have to play one of your tricks, come on.- Belphegor commanded, and Mukuro stared at him. For some reason, Belphegor felt his guts becoming loose.  
-Old story.- Mukuro said, -Lambo is alright. Help m...- he moved the trident to take a blow, and with a gesture of his hand Belphegor sent Mink to spread some chaos to allow him to speak with the illusionist: -What are you hiding from the Prince?- he growled.  
-Nothing.- Mukuro replied, a bit too fast.  
-The Bovino hit Fran. We can't contact him.- Chrome said. Mukuro protested: -Chrome! The hell?  
-My Fran?- Belphegor asked. From behind his bangs, his eyes sparkled in red, filled with madness. -MY FRAN?!- he yelled. He turned around. Mink felt his wrath, fed on it and grew to a huge size. The earth shook, enough to make Mukuro and Chrome stutter, and in a heartbeat the battlefield was covered with pieces of corpses, bloodied and unrecognizable.

-Shit.- Levi said again. He would have never managed to move from Rodrigo's trajectory. He took in one last breath, closed his eyes and hoped that death would come fast, then he heard a gunshot. A moo of pain and an indignant screech echoed after it.  
-Chaos.- said Reborn. Levi opened his eyes and discovered that he was facing the hitman's back. He was in a firing position, and his gun was pointed to Enrico Bovino.  
-Reborn! Long time no see, it's nice to meet you!- Enrico said. Reborn ignored him and turned his back to him to lend a hand to Levi and help him get up; in his face there was a disgusted expression.  
-Reborn, it's not kind to turn your back to someone who's talking to you, don't you know that?- Enrico said. Levi rolled his eyes and commented: -Then the stupid one is me.  
-I'm sorry, Enrico.- Reborn said, turning around, -I'm not using to talking to the dead.  
-What are you...- under Levi's eyes, the left side of Enrico's head exploded, and Reborn put his gun back down. -The legendary Chaos Shot...- Levi muttered, in awe.  
-Sorry I killed your brother.- Reborn coldly said, -He almost killed my boyfriend, you know.  
-I have heard that he almost killed Skull, too.  
-Damn, he could still redeem himself, then.- Reborn made a half smile, then got serious and asked: -Do you know anything about Tsuna?  
-He's fighting against the Estraneo, with him there are Gokudera and Yamamoto. How is Lambo?  
-When I left him, he was stable. But he risked badly. What was that earthquake, before?  
-Oya oya, Reborn.- Mukuro called, -Belphegor is out of control.  
-Now tell me something I don't know.  
-Fran has been hit. I can't get in touch with him.  
-Shit.- Levi said, -Where is he?- Mukuro pointed to the promontory and Levi went as fast as he could in that direction.  
-I need to find Tsuna.- Reborn said, -Have you seen Verde?  
-No trace of him, Fon is looking for him. There's Dino and Hibari with him.  
-Go with them. And good luck.- Mukuro nodded and went away, followed by Chrome.

-Over there, Lambo!- Skull yelled, pointing at a group of people holding some grenade throwers. One of them opened fire, but Lambo caught the lethal projectile mid-air and magnetized it. It fell, harmless, in the waves.  
-You idiot, if he gets himself killed I'll kill you!- Viola blurted, -Tell your takoyaki to put me down, someone has to calm him down!  
-Yeah, right, go die at his side, this will calm him for sure!- Skull replied.  
-Oh, fuck you, he's my son!  
-Yes, and he's big enough to be able to care about himself. Oodako, take us away!  
-You bastard!- Viola threw herself over Skull, and her nails sunk into his back. The ex Arcobaleno grit his teeth in an expression of pain, but didn't scream. He just knocked her out with a butthead.

-You. You hurt my friend.- Lambo said, getting closer. He walked on the edge of the promontory, careless, while salted water from the waves sprayed him and fizzled at the contact with the electricity he was giving out.  
-Look at that, little Robin!- a guy called. He looked weirdly like Levi, but unlike the Varia Guardian he had an expression halfway between terrorized and arrogant. A face that called to be slapped.  
-I don't know who you're talking about. I'm Lambo Bovino, the Vongola's Lightning Guardian. And this will be the last thing you'll learn in your life. Elettrico Cornata!- Lambo bent down and moved his neck, like a raging bull. From the Thunder Set, green bolts erupted and branched; the guy who had spoken stepped back, scared, and touched a comrade's grenade thrower. The metal weapon acted as a lightning rod; when it exploded, deformed by the electricity, nothing of its surrounding remained intact. The blade of ground that ran around the promontory started to crumble little by little under the shock, and Lambo felt himself fall.

-Tsuna!- Reborn called. His former student was being kept standing by Yamamoto, exhausted, and he was trying to catch his breath as soon as possible.  
-Reborn! Help us, Hayato is there alone!  
-Reborn, kora!- Colonnello called from the sky, -Let's go!  
-NO, GOKUDERA!- Yamamoto yelled. Tsuna stopped looking at Falco and he saw Gokudera shuddering, his left shoulder destroyed and bleeding. -HAYATO!- he didn't mind his own tiredness anymore. He launched himself forward to hit whoever had hurt his husband.  
He stopped in front of him, deaf to his muttered protest, and put forward a gloved hand, but he couldn't produce any Flames. Well, he said to himself, to hell with everything. To hell with the Vongola, to hell with the Mafia, to hell with Verde. He would have died avenging Gokudera. He closed his fist and charged a blow, trying to remember something from Ryohei's endless blabbering about boxing, but something came before him: a pickaxe hit the head of the man standing in front of him and its tip emerged from the opposite side. The light died in the victim's eyes.  
-Go away, Tsuna.- Iemitsu said, pulling his pickaxe to set it free.  
-I can't leave Hayato!  
-And you can't carry him. Go, I'll take care of him.- Tsuna hesitated, -GO, FOR CHRIST'S SAKE!- with one last blow, the pickaxe was freed; Iemitsu lifted Gokudera with almost no effort and glared at Tsuna.  
-After you.- he said, coldly. A blast wave made them shiver, and somewhere a dolphin let out a screeching noise.  
-VOI! Don't get close, scum!- a well known voice yelled. Tsuna looked around, and saw that all the enemies were frozen still. He turned around.  
Squalo and Yamamoto were standing side by side, next to Xanxus, still asleep, their swords in their hands, and behind them there was Basil, with Delfino di Pioggia swimming in the air.  
-Sawada dono, come on! It won't last long!- Tsuna stepped forward, stumbled and felt himself being lifted; Scolopendra di Nuvola carried him, Iemitsu and Gokudera away from the battlefield, then Reborn and Colonnello opened fire.  
-What was that?- Tsuna asked, badly falling to the ground.  
-Attacco di Squalo.- Yamamoto answered, -Basil directed our Flames, so we have been able not to hit you too.  
-VOI! Stop chatting and help me move Xanxus from here!- Squalo, still unsure on his legs, was trying to carry his Boss and lover, when Lussuria arrived, running.  
-Let him go, you idiot! Do you want your heart to fail you again?- he said, then he called his Box Heiki. Pavone del Sereno began to work on Gokudera, who let out a tiny moan.  
-Hayato...- Tsuna called, trying to get closer, but he was stopped. Beside his ear, Iemitsu said: -Let Kuu do its magic. He'll be alright.  
-Squalo, Fran has been hit.- Lussuria said, -Viper has no Flames and he took her place. We can't understand how he is, so try not to make efforts. If you die, the Boss will tear us all to pieces.  
-VOI! How do you know about this?- Squalo yelled, then he sat on the ground, exhausted.  
-Don't think about it, I'll explain later.- Lussuria replied, putting Xanxus down in a secluded corner, -I'm looking forward for this horrible day to be over. I want to take a hot bath with bubbles.  
-A shower.- Yamamoto echoed him.  
-A night of sleep.- Tsuna said.  
-A night out drinking.- Iemitsu muttered. Gokudera huffed something that sounded like an attempt at laughing, then opened his mouth to give his contribution, then the air froze. In the sudden calm, that reminded the eye of a storm, Reborn's voice said: -Chaos shot.- everyone turned around.  
The bullet shot by Reborn hit Colonnello's tommy gun. A shower of bullets came out of the weapon, and each one of them seemingly become alive. The bodies of the Estraneo fell one by one, then the atmospheric pressure seemed to fall all of a sudden.  
Squalo moaned and grabbed his chest.

-Do it again and I swear I'll cut your stupid head!- Viola yelled, then she threw a spiral of green Flames towards the promontory. The landslide stopped, held still by the hardening feature; some more stones and some dirt fell into the sea, then the promontory stabilized. The infirmary had been saved at last.  
Lambo was shoved by a tentacle on Oodako's head, between Skull and Viola: -I need to know how is Fran!- he yelled.  
-We're going down.- Skull reassured him, then he commanded the squid, who put them on the ground. Lambo ran into the infirmary, and Viola grabbed Skull by his wrist: -Come on, Skull, you need some treatment for that back of yours.- something shoved them aside, and Skull let out a scream when his back hit the wall.  
-FRAN!- Belphegor yelled, running in. He reached Fran's bedside, and a man informed him: -He's not in danger. But he's concentrating on Squalo's heart and he's weak, don't make him speak. He could collapse for the effort.  
-Hey, can someone fix this idiot?- Viola asked.  
-Oi, this idiot saved your ass, your son's ass and a lot of other people!- Skull protested, while a young woman wearing a yellow jacket got closer and examined his back.  
-I know, later we can make out, but let me overcome the shock first, alright?- Skull opened his eyes wide, in awe, then the atmospheric pressure suddenly fell.  
The comforting cold that had surrounded Skull's back disappeared, leaving him with the pain. Someone yelled: -The doors! Close all the doors!- the sound of wood crashing against wood was heard, then the cold came back.  
-What's happening?- Skull asked.  
-It's the effect from the bollards.- a man in a sweatsuit said, -Verde had another one in the cellar. This building is shielded.  
-Can the Flames get out of here?- Lambo asked. In the camp bed before him, Fran had started to tremble and moan. Belphegor put a hand on his forehead.  
-Yes. But it won't be easy. He will need support.  
-Alright, all the Mists available, help Fran!- said Skull, -Do we have any news from outside? If they're all dead but Verde, we could remove the cover illusion.  
-There's Verde, Mirko and Matteo Incognito, five members of the Assault Squad, twelve... no, eleven Estraneo. Ten. They're dying one by one.- said the man, and Viola looked at him.  
-Who the hell are...  
-Hello, babygirl, do you remember me?


	18. Everything Cracks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With no Flames, the battle is in stall and everyone is in danger.  
> But some unexpected helps are on their way.  
> In the meantime, Verde tries to negotiate again.

The last of the Estraneo fell with a thud that nobody heard.  
-The Flames...- Lussuria whispered when Kuu took refuge in its Box, denied of what he needed to survive outside. The man jumped and turned towards Squalo, who was sitting beneath a tree, his face pale: -Squ chan?  
-I'm alright. Kinda.- he answered. His face was covered with sweat, but he didn't seem to be in pain. Xanxus suddenly woke up from his induced sleep and jumped sitting up, almost making Tsuna fall with an accidental head blow on his belly; he let out a war grunt.  
-VOI! Boss, calm your shit! Do you have any idea of how many paperwork I'd have to fill if you die?- Squalo blurted out, and Xanxus turned to look at him, puzzled.  
-We kickstarted him and Fran took Viper's place.- Lussuria briefed him, -But we're back to not being able to use our Flames.  
-Probably there's some shielded area somewhere. There's no other explanation for why Squalo doesn't have any problem this time.- Reborn theorized, putting his gun back. Squalo shuddered: -I was under effort, before. Now I'm not. Could be just this.  
-Scum.- Xanxus said, -Make room for me against that fucking tree.- Squalo moved at one side and Xanxus stuck on him, with the excuse of leaning to the tree. Iemitsu stared at them, his eyes wide open, then looked elsewhere when he caught Squalo's first homicidal glance.  
-Gokudera, you better stay down. I haven't been able to treat you for good.- Lussuria said, and Iemitsu looked at the man. His shoulder had an unusual shape, but a tiny layer of skin had grown over the previously exposed bone, so at least he had stopped bleeding.  
-The fuck do we do?- Gokudera asked, forced to oblige.  
-The communications went down,- Lal informed them, -They probably have a frequency bollard.  
-So to make our lives easier, kora.- Colonnello commented.  
-TSUNA!- a voice yelled, and Enma appeared from behind a hill; he was running and he looked exhausted. He stopped by then, his hands on his knees, heavily breathing, then muttered: -Others are coming. There was a back guard of the Estraneo. I kept them far, but without Flames...  
-Of course, don't worry. Sit down and take a break.- Tsuna answered, then he turned to Reborn and asked: -Can we leave them to you and Colonnello?  
-Yes. But it won't be this easy. The Chaos Shot is powered by my Flames.  
-Shit.  
-Did Tsuna just say a bad word?- Yamamoto asked.  
-This to confirm that the situation is not good.- Gokudera replied.  
-VOI! I would have bet he wouldn't say shit even if his mouth was full of it!  
-Do you think this is the time to crack jokes?- Iemitsu asked, and everyone shut up. After a while, Tsuna said: -Dad. The Rain Guardian's role is to wash away the pain. If Takeshi's method is to crack a joke or two, that's alright with me.- Iemitsu stayed silent.  
-Listen here, blond.- Xanxus said, -Your son may be a fag, but he's done much more than his ancestors. I'd say that it's time you take him for what he is and give him some goddamn trust.- Iemitsu opened his mouth to answer, when Lal asked: -Who's there?

-Shit. What do we do?- Byakuran rhetorically asked. During the whole battle, the Gesso family had been in a role of tactical support, only barely intervening: the Vongola, the Varia and the Cavallone had gained some advantage little by little, and the Gesso had been able to deal with other matters, like finding a place to cure the hurt ones. Torikabuto had found the Incognito's infirmary, Zakuro had emptied it of its occupants, and Bluebell and Daisy had rescued the hurts from the battlefield. Up until the moment when their Flames had went down again, Byakuran was happy of the way things were going on.  
But now, he was hiding behind a bush, anxiously looking at Gamma, who was lying half outside and half inside a half-destroyed fountain, circled by enemies. If the bright side was that nobody was doing him any harm, he was a very important hostage. And Byakuran couldn't trust Tazaru and Nosaru's patience very much: he could see them trembling at the other side of the cleavage. But if they were to attack in that situation, there was a great risk that Gamma could die. And if Gamma died, Yuni would have suffered. The girl had stayed back at the Giglio Nero's base, and was probably already worried for the communication breakdown; it was her, the one Byakuran was thinking to, looking at Gamma and trying to find an idea to get him out of that tricky situation. -We're stalled.- Kikyo said.  
-I can see it by myself, thank you very much.- Byakuran coldly answered.  
-If we attacked now from two sides, we could win,- Kikyo said, -We're outnumbering them.  
-If we attacked, they could kill Gamma.  
-But we will kill them.- Byakuran opened his mouth, probably to tell his Cloud Guardian he could go fuck himself, when Bluebell spoke: -Oh, come on, Kikyo, he wouldn't look good if he came back to Yuni and said “Hey, I got your daddy killed, will you marry me?”  
-Bluebell! For Christ's sake!- Byakuran protested.  
-Ahn-ha. I get it now.  
-Distract them, -Deisy said, -I will run there and take Gamma away.- Byakuran stared at him.  
-Come on, what can they do, kill me?- Deisy asked, a bit depressed.  
-In fact, yes, you idiot, since you have no Flames.- Kikyo pointed out; Deisy sagged.  
-Let's wait.- Byakuran commanded.

-Furio.- Viola said, stepping back a little. The man smiled and said: -I was looking forward to the moment I'd be providing some lube to put it in those bastards' assholes.  
-The hell are you?- Skull asked, taking off his helmet.  
-Furio Incognito.- Viola answered for him, -We met a few times.- she turned around and looked at the ex Arcobaleno; Skull righteously interpreted her silent glance as a “I don't trust him, stay ready” and held his helmet by the chin protector; if necessary, it could become a weapon.  
-I was friend with Dani Cavallone, darling. I think this explains everything.  
-Don't you dare say his name.  
-Do you prefer if I call him EomerKing? That was his nickname.  
-What is he doing here?- Viola asked to the girl of the Sun Squad that was treating Skull's back. She answered: -He's helping us. He opened the door to the Gesso when they came and he gave us precious informations.  
-What's the frequency you're using?- Furio asked. No one answered, and he took a tablet from a big bag: -If you tell me, I can try to re-establish the local contacts. I inserted a bug in the system, so I can direct the shielding to a different line and cut out both the Incognito and the Estraneo.- once again, no one answered.  
-Can you manage to send a message outside?- Lambo eventually asked, raising his glance from Fran, who was still unconscious.  
-I can try to send a message, but I have to be quick. Or they could intercept me.  
-Then do it. I'll locate the contact.- Lambo got up, leaving Belphegor with the duty of holding Fran's hand, and sat beside the man, who gave him the tablet.  
Skull felt viola stiffen and put a hand between her shoulder bones: -Don't worry. I can hit the target easily.  
-That won't be needed, Skull sama.- Furio said, then he got up, a little farther from Lambo. The boy entered a forum about DragonBall, logged himself in and wrote a name in the search slot, then asked: -The code of the shielding?  
-Let me write it for you, it will be faster.- Furio replied, then sat down again to do so, then gave the tablet back to Lambo, who added a long message: -Here it is. Send it.  
-Who did you write to?- Viola asked.  
-Sho chan. He knows the frequency, having the code of the bug it will take him a second.  
-Sho chan?- Furio asked, astonished, -Do you mean Irie Shoichi?  
-Shit, that's clever.- Skull commented, then said: -We have to find a way to get out of here. We are useless, here. But we have to keep the shield intact.  
-The shield here is a mere barrier in the walls,- Furio briefed, -Viola, you have Lightning Flames, am I right?  
-Correct.- she answered, -Lambo too.  
-The shield is some sort of a Faraday cage. If you create one another internally, it will bond to the radiations and those who are between it and the walls will be able to open the door easily.  
-The one who creates the cage will have to stay here.- Viola protested.  
-I want to go.- Lambo said, and she opened her mouth to reply, but Skull put a hand on her shoulder: -I won't take my eyes off him, not even a second. Anything for you, my lady.- Furio's tablet made a notification sound, and the man looked at it.  
-Lambo, is “Mr.Brief” Irie Shoichi's nickname?  
-Yes. Did he answer?  
-He replied to a post of yours with an image.- Lambo bent over the tablet and said: -These are the Namekkian runes for “Wish granted”.  
-Shit, my son is nerdier than me.- Viola muttered.  
-The apple never falls far from the tree.- Skull commented with a knowing elbowing, then he added: -Is Fran's microphone working?  
-Here you are.- Belphegor answer, and he threw it at him. Skull put it on his ear and called: -Lal?

Mukuro ran down the stairs, and Hibari's voice commanded: -Stop!  
Chrome and Mukuro had found him with their powers, then the Flames had been shut down and Chrome had fallen, without the illusion of her organs. With the little breath she was left, she had told Mukuro to go on and he had unwillingly obliged; he went on, cautiously but rapidly: Chrome's time was nearly over.  
-Come down slowly and don't make any weird move.- Verde said. Mukuro went down and spied under the level of the cellar's roof: Hibari was on the ground, bleeding, and a Green Mosca was holding Dino Cavallone as a hostage. Its metallic hand was around his neck and it kept him lifted enough to avoid his feet to touch the ground; the blond was almost cyanotic, but he seemed to be able to breathe enough to stay alive.  
-Come on, Hibari,- Verde said, -Why aren't you attacking me yet? Are you hesitating to sacrifice this... herbivore?- the brunet didn't reply and Mukuro went close to him and got a bad eye from him.  
Hibari was trembling, weakened, but he attacked anyway; instead of aiming to Verde, he tried to hit the Green Mosca to set Dino free. He was hit and thrown back by a blast wave, and Dino moaned.  
-What do you want to do?- Mukuro asked, -Tell me what you want.  
-I want you. And Fran. And Lambo. And, while we're on the subject, Skull. The others can go unharmed.  
-You can have me. But first, give the Flames back to Chrome. She's dying.  
-Oh, I know.- Verde answered, then she turned around and yelled: -And you! Stop blabbering!  
-I'm praying!- Romario answered, but his voice sounded strange, as if he was lying. Anyway, Verde didn't seem to notice, and Romario called: -Boss...  
-Stupid superstitions.- Verde muttered, then he looked back at Mukuro: -So. To give the Flames back to Chrome, I want you and Fran. To set this idiot free, I want Lambo and Skull.- Mukuro tried to think quickly, but it was difficult: the woman he loved was about to die. He opened his mouth to reply, to offer himself only once again, when all of a sudden the Green Mosca yelled a totally insensate sentence: -And Rohan will answer.

-Lal, it's Skull. How's the situation? I'm at the infirmary with Lambo, we can come and help you.  
-We're deep in shit, Skull, the Estraneo are coming. How did you manage to call me?  
-Long story, I'll tell you later. We're coming in a few...  
-Skull.- Reborn said, -Come here, but if Lambo is alright send him to look for Mukuro. He was looking for Verde, we have to destroy...  
-Yeah, the bollard. It's in the cellar.  
-How do you know?  
-Long story.  
-Alright, you both go there. We try to get back and we meet you there. Know nothing about the others?  
-With me there are also Viola, Fran and Belphegor. I called you first. Now this frequency is shielded, you can use it. We'll go to the cellar, meet you there.- without saying bye, Skull closed the communication and called: -Lambo! Come on, Reborn wants us to destroy the bollard. Let's go!  
-Alright.- Lambo replied; Furio said: -Take my jacket. It's shielded, at least one of you two will be able to use his Flames, even if they'll be weak.- Skull took it, then he hesitated. In the end, he gave it to Lambo: -Keep it. So, if it's necessary you can use your Shield, I'll manage without. I'm the immortal stuntman, that even Death... what the hell?- Viola was putting her hairband on his wrist. She took out a few hair from it and let them fall, then she said: -Win, Rocky, win!  
-This made no sense at all.- Skull commented.  
-Yeah, I know, but “fight for me, my knight” sounded a bit too sloppy. Come on, go.- Lambo and Skull moved towards the wall and Viola built a Faraday cage, then she removed it when the two closed the door behind their backs.

-Where will the cellar be?- Skull muttered.  
-In the lower part of the building, I suppose.- Skull looked at him sideways and Lambo said: -You said that, right? The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Get used to this, if you want to date Mum. I understand that I got my shitty sense of humour from... oh, hell, Chrome!  
-Christ, what's wrong with her?- Skull asked. The woman's body looked empty; Lambo kneeled beside her and took off Furio's jacket: -Chrome doesn't have her organs. She keeps them with an illusion. Don't tell Mum I took off the jacket.- cautiously, he cocooned Chrome in it; she was barely breathing, but she opened her eyelids a bit.  
-Lambo?- she called.  
-Yes, Chrome, it's me. This jacket will allow you to use a little bit of your Flames, try to get better. Do you know where Mukuro is?  
-We were... following Hibari. He should be in the cellar.  
-Can you stay with her, Skull?- Lambo asked, -I'll go down first, you can...- Skull lifted Chrome in his arms and answered: -Your mom's gonna kill me if she finds out I let you go there alone. I'm coming with you.- Lambo hesitated, then Chrome pointed at a door he hadn't seen and they all went there.

-What in the fucking hell...- Gokudera said, sitting up with a big effort, helped by Tsuna. They had decided to step back: they weren't able to fight. The only two standing were Lussuria and Ryohei, who wanted to make a big mess to keep the Estraneo far from the mansion.  
Ryohei looked into the distance and said: -YOSH! That's an army of little robots! Extreme!  
-Little robots?- Yamamoto asked, a bit lost.  
-Oh, yes! Those are Mini Moscas!- Tsuna cheered, -Someone must have managed to contact Spanner and Shoichi!  
-Tsuna, we have another problem.- Lal said, -I was talking to Romario, Cavallone is being held hostage by Verde.  
-The Mini Moscas are doing well.- Lussuria said, glancing at the tiny robots that seemingly were on a killing spree, -Let's all go there.  
-No, wait. Also Gamma is being held hostage. Byakuran doesn't know what to do, he could get him killed if he steps in.  
-Alright.- said Reborn, -I will go with Tsuna and Enma to the cellar, -Xanxus, Squalo and Gokudera to the infirmary. Yamamoto, go with them. All the others will help Byakuran.  
-VOI! Do you really think that Xanxus will be willing to lose the batt... what?- Squalo stopped: Xanxus had lifted him and was holding him tight. Looking away, the man said: -Let's go. I'll take you there and then I'll come back.- Squalo blushed for a split second and made a smirk, then he said: -VOI! Alright!

-CLOSE THE DOOR!- twenty or so people yelled all of a sudden, and Levi quickly obliged.  
-The hell is happening? Where's Fran?  
-We're shielded, in here.- Viola explained, -But the door must be kept closed. Fran is hurt, he's unconscious but we think he's trying to keep Squalo's heart under control.  
-What about Lambo?  
-He went with Skull to the cellar where the bollard is, they'll try to stop Verde.  
-Cutiepie... your dad's dead. I'm sorry.- Viola didn't reply, then the sound of an explosion came from outside, followed by a thunderous blast wave that shook the ground.  
Viola burst into tears: -I've had enough of this!- Levi hugged her.  
-Levi sama,- a boy from the Sun Squad called, -You should create a Faraday cage. If someone comes, we'll stay protected and we will be able to use our Flames.- Levi nodded and let go of Viola. The woman was carried away by the girl who had cured Skull, who muttered words of comfort.  
Levi turned his back to her and focused on the creation of a Faraday cage. He would have never confessed it, not even if tortured, but he was so tired that he would have loved to cry a bit himself.


	19. Demons Run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The battle is about to be over.  
> But there are some things that will change forever many people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!  
> Just a little line to thank everyone that keeps on reading... kudos and comments make me know that I'm doing alright, or will help me if I'm about to go down the narrow road of bussh*t, so... please let me know what you think about this one!
> 
> On a side note, the title of this chapter is inspired by my favourite sci-fi show, and guess what? Today is Doctor Who Day. I swear I didn't do it on purpose! Anyway, Demons Run is a poem, it goes like this:
> 
> Demons run, when a good man goes to war.  
> Night will fall and drown the sun,   
> when a good man goes to war.  
> Friendship dies and true love lies,  
> night will fall and the dark will rise,  
> when a good man goes to war.  
> Demons run, but count the cost:  
> the battle's won but the child is lost.

The Green Mosca opened its mechanic hand and let Dino go; he fell on the ground, barely conscious, and didn't react.  
-You damn thing! What are you doing?!- Verde called it; the robot didn't listen. He suddenly flew out of the roof, destroying it. The blast echoed.  
Lambo had moved just in time to avoid it; he hit Skull, who stepped back, still holding Chrome. Mukuro said: -Kufufu. Seems like you lost control of your machine, Verde.  
-Don't play the joker. Just because I've lost one Green Mosca, this doesn't mean that I lost everything.-Mukuro didn't reply. He know it was true, but he was just wasting time: he was almost sure that his allies were on their way. Sawada Tsunayoshi would never abandon anyone. It was his best trait, the reason why Mukuro had eventually given up his purpose to destroy the mafia: it wasn't a cruel, criminal and pitiless organisation like before, but a big family -he smiled at himself for the involuntary pun- where whoever shows signs of dedication and will to get better is well accepted.  
-Verde.- said a voice from the stairs, only vaguely familiar. Mukuro turned around and saw Lambo; he hadn't seen the boy for a few hours, yet he looked like he had aged ten years. Any trace of innocence had disappeared to leave behind just a cold determination. Behind him, Skull was carrying Chrome in his arms; the woman seemed to be breathing regularly, and Mukuro had the time to be surprised before Lambo went on: -Let us be. Your allies are few, now, you don't have hope. Give up and save your life.- Verde laughed.  
-The hell you think you are, kiddo? Who are you to negotiate with me?  
-I'm the Tenth Vongola Boss' Lightning Guardian.- Lambo calmly answered. Mukuro saw in him a new pride, maybe the one of having finally managed to earn his role. But Lambo was still just a boy, a little more than a kid, and he had no idea of the risk he was taking: it was crystal clear that a part of him still believed that villains could redeem themselves, and that he was sure that Verde would eventually surrendered and repent his actions. Moreover, he didn't know he himself was one of Verde's targets: Sawada had kept that information from him.  
And now, here he was, entering the enemy's cave as if there wasn't any danger, with a negotiation proposition that Verde would surely consider illogic and unacceptable. Behind Lambo, Skull said: -Let go. He lost his marbles, he won't...  
-Skull! Here you are, you too!- Verde rejoiced, -Why don't you two come in? Let's talk about this negotiation that Lambo was...  
-Don't!- Mukuro warned them, -He still have got some tricks up his sleeve!  
-Shut up!- Verde commanded.  
-Yeah, shut up.- Hibari echoed in a whisper. Mukuro wanted to help him somehow: even if they never managed to get along for more than thirty seconds straight, the illusionist respected that cold, unfazed, powerful man, and seeing him on the ground, bleeding, was a real pain.  
-Listen, Verde, I've had enough.- Skull said, -You put up one hell of a mess, and for what? For your shitty scientific research. You lost trace of your moral.  
-What about you, then?- Verde replied. His voice dripped disgust, -Look who's speaking, the one who turns his back on his allies as soon as things get difficult. Where were you when the Carcassa attacked Mafia Land and were destroyed by Sawada? Where were you when the Carcassa attacked the Cavallone and were slaughtered?  
-For your information, Verde, I never gave a fuck about the Carcass. They offered me a wage and I accepted. I didn't have that much choice, you know.  
-Yes, you and your justifications,- Verde silenced him, -You act like a turd and then...- the ex Arcobaleno interrupted his speech, and on his face appeared an expression of surprise and pain.  
Mukuro looked at his own empty hands, from which his trident had been stolen so quickly that he had realized only after a while.  
Lambo backed up, astonished; he hit Skull's shoulder, and he let go Chrome's legs to held the boy as well. Chrome stood on trembling but quite stable legs, her eyes on the scientist.  
Verde opened his mouth, tried to speak but from his mouth only a strain of blood came out.  
From behind Lambo, a voice called: -Hibari san, no!  
-Shut up, Sawada.- the brunet answered. Mukuro's trident was in his hands, its blood-dripping points coming out of Verde's chest. In a crazy flash of lucidity, Mukuro understood why the man had told him to shut up, before: when Verde was focused elsewhere, he could attack him easily.  
-What is done is done, Boss.- Chrome said. Her voice was calm, but cold: -We have to destroy the bollard, now.  
-Where is it?- Reborn asked, looking away from the dying ex-colleague. Chrome closed her eyes and tried to read into Verde's mind; she shivered, feeling his pain and his fear, then said: -Under the floor. There's a trap-door behind Verde, the bollard is there.  
-Chrome, how are you?- Sawada asked. Mukuro thought that he had probably understood that there was nothing he could to to make Hibari leave the trident. Or to turn back the time.  
-I'm alright, Boss. Lambo gave me this jacket, it's a shield. But we have to be quick.- two gunshots echoed in the secluded cellar, and soon after Mukuro felt his sight on the Six Reigns come back. Reborn got up and looked at everyone: -We have to get out of here as soon as possible. It's a dead end.- no one answered. Hibari let the trident fall, and Verde with it, still impaled, then he kneeled over Dino's body.  
-Don't be a herbivore now.- he whispered. Dino barely opened his eyelids, then he closed them again; he was hardly breathing, and his neck had a strange shape and still was blue. Hibari's fingers entangled to Dino's, but he had to be satisfied with the slight response of the other, because from the top of the stairs came a voice: -Look at this pretty nice family reunion...

Byakuran felt his Flames coming back, and from the microphone came Romario's voice: -Bollard destroyed. Go on.  
-Good. Deisy, take Gamma. Kikyo, Bluebell. Kill those pieces of...  
-Byakuran sama, I think we have a problem...- Deisy said, his voice trembling. Byakuran, who had momentarily turned back to speak with his Guardians, turned around. A man was pointing a stiletto gun to Byakuran's throat.  
-Come out of there, Byakura. Come out and maybe I'll spare this man's life.

-Boss!- Levi called when the door opened. Xanxus' figure, even bent under Squalo's weight, was impossible to confuse, to him. He kept the Faraday cage until the door wasn't shut, then he let it fall to allow the people to come in.  
-Levi. The fuck are you doing here?- Xanxus asked. He gestured towards to boys of the Sun Squad, who took Squalo and helped him lie on the bed next to Fran's. Belphegor still hadn't left his side, but seeing Xanxus coming he had lifted his face towards him.  
-I came to see Fran. I know he's keeping Squalo's heart under control, if that had been the case I would have explained it to others so they could intervene.- Levi answered, turning around to see the bed where the illusionist was still lying. Now that Squalo was near and inside the shielding, Fran looked more tranquil, and his wounds were starting to heal under the treatment given by the boys of the Sun Squad.  
-...thanks.- Xanxus muttered, and Levi shrugged. Gokudera came in, held up by Yamamoto, and he let himself fall on a bed, exhausted for the blood loss. He said: -Can someone cure me? I have to come back to the battlefield.- two girls went closer, blushing like a nice couple of idiots, and a voice said from the nearby bed: -Flames restored outside as well.- Gokudera turned around. Viola was on one side, and a girl was fixing her shoulder. He asked: -Oi. Do you have news?- she nodded, then gestured for him to keep silent. After a while, she said: -Byakuran's in deep shit. They took Gamma and they're stalled. Someone must help him.- Gokudera smacked his lips, uncertain. In the end, he glanced at Yamamoto and said: -Shall we go support him? I'd go to Tsuna, but if he founds out I let his best friend's dad to die to check on him he'll leave me.- Yamamoto giggled, and the sound of his laughter acted as a balm on everyone. As always, with his usual dork face he had managed to bring comfort. Squalo glanced sideways at him, but didn't say a thing.  
-Bel... senpai...- Fran whispered.  
-Froggy! Froggy, I'm here!- Belphegor promptly answered, taking his hand.  
-Thirsty.- he said, smacking his dry lips, and Belphegor was quick to give him a glass of water; he even put the straw in his mouth.  
-They're so nice they're disgusting.- Viola commented in a huff. Only Gokudera heard her and he bit a lip not to laugh; to be honest, it was odd to see the Bloody Prince in his “anxious boyfriend” version.  
-Cutiepie, how are you?- Levi asked. Behind him, Xanxus kneeled beside Squalo's bed. The swordsman had already started to feel better and was trying to escape again. Xanxus pushed him back on the bed touching his chest with his open hand, he hesitated and then he said: -Scum, you stay here. If something was to happen to you again I'll...- he stopped. Everyone was looking at him, in wait, like a goddamn bunch of schoolgirls in front of an episode of Dawson's Creek or some bullshit like that, the one where the pairing of the century, supposedly, is going to make out. Even Fran had lifted himself on his elbows to spy on them. -...I'll get angry.- he concluded. The staring idiots let out a choir of delusion; now they sounded like football fans when the champion made a stupid mistake.  
Xanxus looked away from them and glared at Squalo, hoping he had understood; on the swordsman's face there was a funny frustrated expression, that made a strong contrast with his cheecks, that were unusually blushed.  
-So... August twelve, right?- he asked all of a sudden. Xanxus slightly relaxed and confirmed: -August twelve. You're the one wearing white.  
-VOI, no way! I'd have to change clothes every time you throw a glass of wine at me!  
-Fish menu. We'll only be drinking white wine.- Xanxus replied. Squalo jokingly pulled his lobe and said: -Alright, I'll be wearing white. But only because I know you won't change your mind. And no fucking train!- Xanxus had the sudden insight of Squalo in a white dress, with laces and crinoline, and had to suppress a laughter.  
-I think a tight will be alright.- he answered. Then, all of a sudden, he realized that he didn't give a shit about who was around: he bent forward and kissed Squalo with passion. He was so glad he could do it again, after thinking he was dead and gone, that he didn't kill anyone among those crazy weirdos that had dared to cheer and applause; in fact, he didn't even notice, and when Squalo protruded his tongue and brushed his lips everything else ceased to exist.

When they eventually broke their kiss, the infirmary was half empty.  
There was no trace of Gokudera and Yamamoto, neither of Belphegor and Levi. Fran was lying on his back and stared at the roof, crackling his toes and whistling a song that horribly sounded like “Can You Feel The Love Tonight”. The members of the Sun Squad were less busy, and those of the Mist Squad were so useless that they were taking turns in creating illusions of funny videos from the web. Xanxus looked away from a series of little scenes where penguins fell on their faces like idiots and looked at Fran.  
-Oh, Boss, finally.- the illusionist said, -Nice move, after a while everyone got bored and got back to their business. Maybe Levi is right when he says you're smart.  
-VOI! Don't play smart!- Squalo blurted, in discomfort, -Where the fuck is everyone?  
-Gokudera, Yamamoto and Levi sama reached Byakuran. Belphegor and Viola are with Sawada, Lambo and... and I don't remember who else is with them.  
-What's the battlefield with the highest chance of the bloodiest battle?- Xanxus asked.  
-Byakuran. They're few but they took Gamma as a hostage, Byakuran is quite annoyed. He likes Yuni, did you know?  
-VOI! No, I didn't and I don't give a shit anyway! Xanxus, you better not get yourself killed!- the Varia Boss got up and went out without saying anything more.  
Who knew how, when the Vongola were around everything became a fucking circus.

-So, Dino...- said the man who had just entered the cellar, -How's your little brother? Still dead and gone?- Dino barely opened his eyes, but couldn't manage to answer. Hibari held him closer and helped him to sit a bit better.  
-You know, I'm sorry...- the man went on, -I wanted to hit him in a less lethal spot and look at him dying for more time, but that bitch of his girlfriend jokingly pushed him and moved him. Screwing her for the whole last month has been a very pleasant revenge.  
-Sick... Bas...tard...- Dino slowly syllabled. His whisper was almost completely covered by the thud of something falling to the ground: a green Box Heiki with the Cavallone logo fell down the stairs.  
-You son of a whore.- Viola murmured, -SON OF A WHORE ASSASSIN PIECE OF SHIT!- a bullet covered in red Flames hit her on her hip, a bit over the curve of her pelvis, and she fell, a dumb scream on her face.  
-Here's, that's how I pictured it.  
-Mirko Incognito.- Reborn said, coming to him with the gun in his hand, but an arm stopped him. An electric shock made him shiver, and the killer stopped.  
-Stay out of this.- Lambo said. His voice was calm and deep, filled with rage. With a mere nod of his head, his Thunder Set let out another bolt that hit Mirko's gun; his hand contracted in a spasm and opened, letting the gun fall. Lambo, now sure a bullet wasn't going to hit him, went on; he took off the Thunder Set and his skin started to frizzle with static. Without saying a word, he took the man's head in his hands and let out the electricity, slowly and gently; his green eyes were stuck on Mirko's face and they looked at him jumping. Soon, his screams and a disgusting smell of burnt flesh invaded the cellar.  
-Lambo...- Reborn called, as soon as he overcame the shock, -Lambo, stop it.  
-Oh, fuck.- Tsuna muttered, then he turned around an vomited some fluid. Lambo seemed to hear him, or at least he perceived his movement, because he abruptly turned his way, finished Mirko with one last, powerful bolt and then he let him fall.  
-Come here. Lambo, come here.- Reborn said. His hands were chilly, even through the heavy fabric of Lambo's jacket, and they were trembling in shock. The killer was biting his lip: what the hell was he thinking, when he had convinced himself that Lambo could do it? Of course, he was most powerful of many of them, but what about his pure soul? Lost for ever.  
-Reborn.- a voice called from behind. The killer turned around, without letting go of Lambo's shoulders.  
-I think I need help.- Hibari went on; the right side of his chest was covered with blood and he was so weak he was leaning on Mukuro.  
-Mirko Incognito's gun shot when it fell.- the illusionist explained, -I think the bullets were coated with Storm Flames. I'm keeping him alive, but you have to be quick. Treat him before his lung collapses.- Reborn was quick to take out his Box Heiki; with a corner of his mind he heard Chrome's voice: -Come on with me, Lambo, let's go out of here.- she sounded particularly anxious, almost childish, but Reborn had no time to think about it. He called his Sun Chameleon, then said: -Romario, call Ryohei and Lussuria. Dino is not looking well.- Hibari passed out, sagging against Mukuro's chest, his lover's head still on his laps.  
-I think we need help as well,- Skull said, -Come on, darling, keep going.

Byakuran got out of the bush, his hands lifted: -I don't know who you are, but I'm sure we can find an agreement somehow.- he said.  
-Of course we can. You can save this human garbage's life if you offer me the Gesso Famiglia's loyalty. Join us against the Vongola.  
-Why should I do that?  
-Because we have never been a trouble to you. Not even in the future that the Vongola erased. That's something that can't be said for everyone, isn't it? We have no means to be at war with the Gesso, and neither with the Giglio Nero. Ally with us Incognito.  
-I see...- Byakuran replied, -Your arguments are pretty convincing. But you see, I don't understand why I should be joining you. What are you giving me in exchange?- the man's smile became the unbelieving expression of someone who can't understand the level of stupidity of the person he is talking to. He was holding a bayonet, and he pushed it down to slightly pierce Gamma's body, to remind Byakuran what the price was.  
The sound made by the blade was thud and sloppy, and the man looked down. Gamma wasn't lying at his feet anymore, and the bayonet was pierced in the wet ground, still soaking from the storm. The smile on his face disappeared.  
-Now I see what they mean when they say that the smarter of you lot has the I.Q. of a slipper.- a voice growled behind him. The man abruptly turned around, his weapon in his hand, but the shock of seeing his allies' heads falling, sharply severed from their bodies, slowed his movement of a split second. In that brief yet meaningful moment, Xanxus shot a bullet in his brains.  
-Nice job, Torikabuto.- Byakuran complimented: his Mist Guardian had rapidly created an illusion to cover the arrival of Yamamoto, Gokudera and Xanxus, and also Deisy's quick intervention when he had removed Gamma from the battlefield. Xanxus put his gun back and said: -I was hoping for something more gory.  
-What can you do, Xanxus, you can't have everything in life.- Byakuran merrily said, -Want a marshmallow to ease the pain?- he showed a packet to Xanxus, and the man suspiciously looked at it. In the end, not knowing where Byakuran had kept the thing, he refused. He gestured towards Gamma: -Take him to the infirmary. The two brats will lead the way.  
-Actually, I already know...- Byakuran started, but Xanxus was already leaving.  
-The two brats are thirty years old each, baka!- Gokudera protested. Xanxus didn't bother to answer and kept heading to the mansion as if no one had spoken.


	20. Crumbles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dino and Hibari are getting treatment, and something more.  
> Lambo is shocked and angry.  
> Skull has something very important to say.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all!  
> I just wanted to thank anyone who left comments or kudos in the last week!  
> It's a very rough time for me and I am relying on small things such as these to go on.  
> Thank you from the depth of my heart.

Lambo stood still, still shocked for what he had done, staring at Chrome: the woman was standing, concentrated, a slight breeze moving her hair.  
After some time, Lambo couldn't tell how much, Chrome looked up and smiled at him: -Ryohei, Ivan and Lussuria are on their way. I've alerted the infirmary.  
-Is there anything else to do?- Lambo asked.  
-No. The enemies are defeated. We won.  
-Chrome, I'm a bad person.- Lambo said, then he burst into tears. He was suddenly realising that he had made someone suffer on purpose, without considering any moral implication: he had just let the rage and indignation carry him, and he had thrown every bad feeling on a man he had never met before. He felt Chrome's arms cocooning him, her soft breasts pushing on his chest, and he let himself go in that fraternal embrace, so warm and so soothing.  
He didn't even notice Ryohei, running by his side towards what was left of the mansion, followed by Garyuu and by Ivan, the Cavallone's Sun Guardian, his Box Heiki cuddled on his shoulder.

-Ivan...- Dino weakly said, while a vague warmth invaded his body. The pain in his neck vanished little by little, and so did the sensation of compression on the trachea; with a sudden thud, the hyoid fixed itself.  
-Stay down, Boss, I'm not done yet.- Ivan said. Dino's eyelids closed, and Ivan's eyes locked with Ryohei's; the boxer nodded, with a tired smile.  
-Kyoya?- Dino asked in a whisper.  
-He's alright. He's been hit by a bullet, but Ryohei is treating him.  
-Where...- Dino swallowed hardly, -Where is he?  
-Cinna...- Hibari muttered, right beside his ear. He caught a hissing, heavy breath, then his fingers found a nest in Dino's hair: -Cinna...mon... bun.- he exhaled.  
-Ryohei...- Dino called, a wide and dumb smile on his face, -Check for a concussion.  
-YOSH!- Ryohei answered, -His head is fine to the extreme!  
-Boss, you can get up now.- Ivan stated, -But slowly.- Dino turned on one side, and he nearly fainted at the sight of the tremendous amount of blood coming from Hibari's body. The younger's hand was still in his hair, and he weakly pulled the blond down. Hibari locked eyes with Dino and said: -You're a gigantic dork.  
-Oh, come on, admit it that...  
-But I love you.- Hibari finished, then he fainted.  
-EXTREME!- Ryohei commented, astonished. Garyuu made a noise, his master nodded and said: -Hibari is alright. He's weak for the loss of blood, but that will be fixed with a couple of transfusions.- Dino's shoulder relaxed, and the man sat beside his boyfriend, his heart beating fast for the unexpected declaration.  
Enma elbowed Tsuna, who looked at him, puzzled. -So?- the redhead said.  
-Alright, you won, I owe you a thousand yen.- Tsuna admitted, then he looked at Dino: -I had bet that Hibari san would never lower himself to say “I love you”.  
-And you lost!- Enma underlined, tickling his shoulder with a finger.  
-Well, then I relaunch with Adel doing the same to you one day.- Tsuna answered, a bit piqued for having lost the bet. Enma's cheeks became of the same colour of his hair.  
-He lost a ton of blood. Was it an artery?- he asked, to break the embarrassed silence.  
-No.- Reborn answered, lifting up Fon's body from a dark corner; the ex Storm Arcobaleno was unconscious, but he was breathing just fine, -Mirko's bullet was fuelled with Storm Flames, that started the progressive destruction of the tissues. Romario, could you please call Lal and tell her to sent us a... what's up?- the man was pale, all of a sudden. -Viola has been hit by one of those bullets.- from upstairs came Skull's desperate yell: -No... nonononononono! Help!

Byakuran let Gamma down on one of the beds of the infirmary, and soon a team of guys from the Sun Squad started to take care of the man, who opened his eyes after a short while. Bluebell came in and said: -I was talking to Aria. Hi, Gamma, I see you woke up. Your lady told me to tell you not to bother come home if you're not alive.- Gamma tried to understand the meaning of the sentence, then he gave up: -What?  
-Aria is happy that you're alive.- Byakuran translated with a tiny smile. Gamma looked at him sideways, noticing the difference between his usual toothpaste-commercial smiles and that tiny arch of his lips: -Is it that bad?- he asked.  
-Wha...?- Byakuran replied, puzzled, -No, no, the battle's over, we won!  
-So, what's with that smile? You look like you just ate a lemon.- Gamma looked at the youngster, encouraging. Suddenly, now that the fear for the battle was over, he seemed to remember that Byakuran often seemed to lose control of his well trained facial muscles when he was talking to him.  
-Ah...- Byakuran said, then he let out some kind of embarrassed laughter and he scratched his neck. Bluebell went at his side, kicked him on the shank to catch his attention and then stared at him, her arm crossed on her chest and an adorable smudge on her face.  
-Ok, so...- Byakuran began, -Gamma, the thing is... IlliketomryYuni.- Gamma stayed silent for at least thirty second, then he sighed: -I'd have you repeat that, but Aria taught me that pity is an important value.- Byakuran turned white. After a blatant hesitation, Gamma went on: -Yes, if Yuni is alright with that you have my permission to court her and, if she'll be willing, to marry her. But remember that if I see her crying because of you I'm shoving a pool stick so far up your ass that you'll taste chalk.  
-Roger, sir!- Byakuran answered, standing at attention. A bored moan was heard over Bluebell's giggling, and suddenly someone started yelling: -VOOOOOIIIII! If I see another one of these soap-opera scenes, I'm slicing you all up!  
-Squalo senpai,- Fran called, -If you want I can make you watch an anime.  
-Still better than this sloppiness!- Squalo answered, then he crashed onto the pillow. Fran focused, wrinkling his nose like Sabrina the witch in the old TV series, and for a dozen of minutes there was silence. Then, Squalo blurted: -VOOOIII! What's this bullshit?!  
-Ushishishishi, what are you showing him?- Belphegor asked.  
-Princess Princess.- Fran answered, without missing a beat.

-Mommy?- Lambo called; he had raised his head from Chrome's shoulder to wipe his eyes, and he had seen Skull, coming out of the mansion, tears in his eyes and an unconscious Viola in his arms. The woman's head dangled like it was spineless.  
-MOMMY!- he yelled, shoving Chrome away; the woman held in an oath. She had gotten Lambo out of there so he wouldn't notice his mother's conditions, and her plan had just failed. She followed Lambo, trying to catch the woman's thoughts, and she finally did: -Don't worry, she's alive... she's dreaming.  
-Slow down, Lambo!- Skull called. Lambo stopped. -She's alive, but we have to treat her as soon as possible, and in there they're all exhausted. I'm taking her to the infirmary.- Lambo caressed her face and asked: -What is she dreaming about, Chrome?- the woman smiled and slightly blushed. -Pizza. She answered, although that wasn't the complete truth.  
-I'm taking her.- Lambo said, but Chrome put a hand on his shoulder: -Let Skull sama do it. He's an expert, he know how to carry her without causing any damage.- the ex Arcobaleno nodded, grateful, and went to Oodako, waiting by the promontory, ready to help his master like he had already done for Byakuran and Gamma.  
-YOSH!- Ryohei called, -Lambo, help me, Lussuria can't even stand up!- Lambo looked at the two men, headed towards them and passed beside them without saying a word.  
He passed beside Mukuro, who was carrying Hibari, as well, and Dino, held up by Romario; the blonde called: -Hey, Lambo, how is Vi...  
-REBORN!- Lambo roared. The killer, who was checking Fon's vital signs, turned around abruptly, astonished by the rage in his voice. The boy had often addressed him that way in the past, right before saying a death threat and ending up badly beaten, but it was long since Reborn hadn't heard himself being called with that tone of voice. Guilty, he knew why the boy was angry, and didn't know what to do to calm him down. He got up, his hands in front of him, and said: -Lambo, I...  
-SHE WAS ALRIGHT!- Lambo yelled, -She had only been hit to smear!  
-Yes. But the bullets were coated with Storm Flames. The damage expanded rapid...  
-So why does Hibari seems to be in better conditions?  
-Well... we...- Reborn stepped back, and Tsuna said: -Lambo, we... you know, Ryohei went to Hibari, who was in a way worse condition... he had a collapsed lung and...  
-And Ivan went to Dino first.- Enma finished when Tsuna's voice faded. Lambo's stare was still on Reborn.  
-You forgot about her, don't you?- the hitman sighed and confessed: -I'm afraid yes. There was Skull with her and I...  
-And you only mind your own damn business, as usual.- the coldness in Lambo's voice made Reborn step back again; the hitman put down his hands and bent his head.  
He didn't see Lambo's fist coming, he only heard Tsuna yelling: -No, Lambo, what are you doing?!- then, something that felt like a hammer landed on his nose.

Ten minutes later, Lambo was standing outside the infirmary; he couldn't decide to get in. He kept looking at Oodako, calmly swimming in the waves, trying not to think at anything: he didn't know how he could manage his own feelings if she was dead. He had spent the past days telling himself that there was plenty of time to spend with his mother, to ask her what had happened, maybe looking at old photos of the two of them, and here he was now, regretting all the times he had looked at her and he had decided to wait instead of asking.  
An arm was put on his shoulder, and Gokudera said: -She'll survive. She'll probably limp for the rest of her life, but she's alright. She's already joking about her future career in the weather forecast field.- Lambo leaned on his chest and started to cry in silence, knowing that the other was probably going to mock him for that but unable to stop.  
But Gokudera held him close and started to gently cradle him; Lambo felt unreasonably consoled and comforted by that light swashing and hugged Gokudera's waist. The man, far from sending him away, accepted the touch and held him even tighter.  
Then, little by little, Gokudera stopped the hug and took his face in his hands. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but then he seemingly changed his mind. In the end, he asked: -Do you want me to stay here? Or you rather be alone?  
-I don't know, I think... alone. How is everyone?  
-More or less, they're all alright. Lussuria is the one who's having the hardest time, he's exhausted for all the cures he gave and now he's got the cravings like a pregnant woman. I tell you, seeing him eating biscuits and olives is something terrible.- Lambo let out a huff of a laughter.  
-I'm going back in, then.- Gokudera added.  
-If Lussuria is a show so terrible, ask Fran to show you an anime. In that head of his he has a tremendous selection of them.  
-This sounds like a good advice.- Gokudera replied, then he let go of Lambo and turned his back to him. Lambo hesitated, then said: -Tell Mum I'm coming in soon.  
-Roger that.- Gokudera answered. Lambo heard his steps getting farther, then a low voice called his name: -Lambo.

-Reborn.  
-Tsuna.- the Tenth Vongola Boss sat beside his former tutor on the edge of the promontory. Looking down, they could see the sea and the small piece of land where the infirmary stood.  
-Shouldn't you have that nose checked?- Tsuna asked.  
-No need for it. It's not even broken.  
-Alright, but it hurts just looking at it. I'd...  
-Listen, I deserved it and now I'm keeping it, OK? Stop it.- Reborn looked down, towards the place where Lambo was standing, in Gokudera's arms.  
-Alright, so keep it. But don't you think it was your fault. It just happened, let's be glad it ended up well.  
-Tsuna. I forgot that the mother of the boy I love was badly hurt. I should have given her the priority.  
-I spoke with Skull.- Tsuna abruptly said, apparently with no logical connection. Reborn stared at him, waiting for an explanation which Tsuna eventually gave: -He was with her. She was the one who asked that Ivan went to Dino first. I'm not saying it's a good thing, but Hibari san was in critical conditions, and she herself gave the priority to her Boss. I think it's correct like this.  
-It is. But Lambo is never going to forgive me.- Tsuna didn't answer. If just a few days before he could have bet on Lambo's forgiveness, now he wasn't so sure. He had grown up into something that he was unable to understand, and he was frightened.  
-Tsuna. I'm really sorry, but if Lambo should decide not to forgive me, I won't be able to stay with you anymore. I'll work for the Cavallone Family, and you sure will be able to contact me at any time, but...- Reborn's voice faded, and Tsuna put his hand on the hitman's. It didn't take his Hyper Intuition to understand that it would have been too painful for the killer to live in the same house as Lambo and not being able to touch him, to talk to him, to love him. He didn't say a word, not even when Reborn's fingers entangled to his in a frantic grip.  
-The hell is Skull doing there?- Reborn eventually asked.

-Can I talk to you?- Skull asked. Lambo turned to face him. He had seen him from afar, years before, and he had gotten to know him somehow, during the battle. They had nothing in common, but one thing. He had an idea of what the ex Arcobaleno was going to ask him, and he said to himself that he would have quickly told him he was OK if Skull was to date Viola and then send him away. When Gokudera had left, Lambo had realized he really wanted to be alone. -OK.- he just answered, and Skull stood beside him, looking at the sea. He didn't speak for a long time, then he burst: -Reborn is one hell of an asshole.  
-Louder for the people on the back.- Lambo quickly answered.  
-You'll never hear me saying he isn't, and if you do, you're allowed to kill me because that's probably some kind of alien clone.- Skull stopped, then he went on: -But his heart is in the right place.  
-What do you mean?  
-I was with Viola, before. She gave the priority to Dino. It wasn't Reborn's decision. Reborn was busy looking at his dying student, and at his dying student's dying boyfriend. Do you understand the situation?- Lambo hesitated, puzzled. In the end, he said: -I do.  
-Of the three most powerful Sun Guardians, Lussuria hadn't arrived yet. Now, I'm not telling you that Reborn for sure thought this, but if I were him I would have supposed that someone else, that Lussuria had stopped to help Viola.  
-You are speaking of Reborn as if he wasn't some fucking... heart-less machine.  
-Yeah. Because I know he isn't.- Skull's sentence was so definitive and bitter that Lambo turned to look at him. The ex Arcobaleno was torturing his lip piercing with his teeth, and his eyes were still lost on the void; his eyebrows were grudged, his eyes shiny.  
-If you tell someone what I'm about to say, I swear I'll beat you to a pulp. And fuck all the good purposes of taking care of the kid to get to the mommy.  
-I won't speak.  
-I wasn't part of the mafia. I knew it existed because of movies like “The Godfather” but I never had anything to do with it. I worked in a damn circus outside Paris. Then, CheckerFace contacted me and I found myself with Reborn, Luce, Verde, Fon, Viper, Lal and Colonnello in this Arcobaleno bullshit.- Skull hesitated. His hand ran to torture his earring, and with a monotone voice he said: -I doubt you could know this, but twenty odd years ago there was a massacre in a circus, in France. Bullet-riddled people, the animals ran away in the streets... a huge mess, the newspapers wrote about it for months, and no one ever found the culprit.  
-Was it Reborn?- Lambo asked.  
-Yes. And for a reason.- Skull hesitated, but Lambo didn't speak. Eventually, Skull said: -When I found myself into the body of a baby, I broke down. I couldn't get back to the circus, because... well, because I had already been there. I didn't want them to try to... not again.  
-Christ, Skull, you're not saying that...  
-Yes. They were a bunch of damn paedophiles, who defended themselves beside the excuse that they only did that to educate the children. You know...- Skull let out a bitter laugh, -If you raise them with the belt, they won't grow up to be idiots.  
-That's fucking sick.- Lambo said. He was nauseous. The man he was talking to, the man who was flirting with his mother and that he could later find at the dinner table at Christmas, was confessing to him that he was raped when he was a child. He had the urge to hug him and tell him that everything was alright, but he froze, afraid that his gesture could be badly welcomed.  
-I broke down, I told you. I said everything, then I must have fainted or something like that. When I woke up, I was in a hotel room, and on the bedside table there was some money and a card with “No one is gonna hurt you anymore” written on it.- Skull took in a trembling breath, and Lambo looked away to allow him some privacy. With a voice that was rough from tears, Skull said: -This to convince you that Reborn has some shitty methods. And he's an asshole. But he's not heart-less. He didn't forget about Viola on purpose. This kind of shit just happens. He would never have left her there to die. Try to understand him, if you can.  
-I'll try to.- suddely, Lambo felt too small for the world and on the edge of a violent mental breakdown. Then, Skull patted his shoulder and smiled widely at him: -So! Do you want to get in? There's a pretty lady that can't wait to hug you.  
-I don't know why, but I suspect that if you were to call her “pretty lady” while she can hear you, she could tear you open.- Lambo replied, faking a smile.  
-I suspect that she wants to do it anyway...- Skull murmured, depressed.  
-I don't think so. I think she likes you.- Lambo opened the door. From the inside, came an unmistakable voice: -VOOOIII! WHERE THE HELL IS XANXUS?!

PS:  
"Cinnamon bun" is a reference to Harry Potter. There's this common headcanon that Hufflepuffs (people like Dino) and Slytherins (like Hibari) are able to bond together pretty well. there's a nice meme about a Huff challenging someone and the Slyth going "Don't you dare touch my sweet cinnamon bun if you ever want to see the light of day again". I just couldn't resist, maybe I'll post some OS one of these days about how this came into Kyoya's mind!


	21. Eye of the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Xanxus went out to look for booze.  
> Fran is a sociopath that forces people to watch amazing animes.  
> Lambo and Reborn need to talk.  
> Dino is trying to sound like the Godfather.  
> Lambo and I-Pin are making a mess.

-VOOOIII! WHERE THE HELL IS XANXUS?!- Squalo yelled. Half of the people in the infirmary jumped in surprise, another quarter tried to do it and moaned in pain, the others remained in their blessed unconsciousness.  
-Squalo sama, you should stay in bed, please...- said a boy from the Sun Squad, pale with fear. Squalo ignored him and got up, waving his sword.  
-I'LL LOOK FOR HIM!- Skull yelled, then he backed up and went out of the door. As soon as he was far enough from the infirmary, he stopped, looked back and muttered: -Bunch of weirdos...  
-Hear who's talking.- Reborn said; he was in front of him, and Skull looked at him. The hitman was trying to keep up his usual smirk, but it was clear that it was heavy.  
-Xanxus is nowhere to be found. Have you seen him?- Skull asked.  
-No. But knowing him, he's looking for booze.  
-I could use some of it myself.- Reborn huffed: -Don't tell me. I'd like to get drunk for a month and a half.  
-Make it two months and I'm in.- Skull replied. Reborn looked at the sea and asked: -Did you... did you ask Lambo the permission to flirt with Viola?  
-No. Shit, I knew I was forgetting something!- Skull slapped a hand on his face and Reborn rolled his eyes. Before he could ask anything more, Skull said: -Nope, I just shoved my nose in your business. I told him that he should forgive you.  
-If you convinced him, I'm building a statue of you.- Reborn sadly said. Skull stayed silent for a while, then he said: -I had a favour to give back to you, Reborn. Forget the statue, pigeons would shit on it. Now, I think I'll go looking for Xanxus and for the booze.- Reborn stood still, puzzled. They had never touched the subject of the circus massacre, so much that Reborn had wondered whether Skull actually knew it was him who had killed his molesters. That second of hesitation allowed Skull to go away.  
-What were you talking about?- Tsuna asked, joining the hitman.  
-Ancient history.- Reborn minimized, -Shall we go in?  
-Let's go.- Tsuna smiled, encouragingly, and opened the door.  
-VOOOIII! STOP MAKING ME WATCH THAT BULLSHIT!- Squalo yelled. Fran giggled: he was keeping him hostage with Princess Princess, and the swordsman couldn't get up because his mind was all focused on a stupid anime where stupid boys dressed up like stupid princesses.  
-Ushishishishi...- Belphegor laughed; he was enjoying the show and he thought that Squalo was so pissed because the co-protagonist looked a lot like him and that gothic lolita dress really suited him.  
-Honey, do you want some earplugs?- Gokudera asked, -Reborn, what about you?  
-Not for me, thank you,- Tsuna answered, -He's not much more louder than Ryohei.  
-Yeah, I thought the same.- Gokudera giggled, then he asked again: -Reborn?  
-I... maybe later.- he said, then he stumbled towards Lambo, sitting on the bed beside Viola.  
-Oi, Reborn!- the woman waved, -Who trashed your nose that way? Id like to send them some flowers.  
-Your son.- Reborn asked with a smirk, and Viola turned serious: -Lambo, is it true?  
-Yes.- the boy answered, then he added: -He forgot about you!- Viola stared at Reborn.  
-I'm mortified.- the hitman said.  
-I...- the woman said, then she took Lambo's hand: -Listen. It went well. I'm alright, you're alright, Squalo is about to freak out and Dino is singing Disney songs. Everything as usual, indeed. It's nothing to worry about.  
-Can I talk to you, Reborn?- Lambo asked. The hitman nodded and followed him outside, then he turned around and asked Viola: -Are you really alright?  
-No, I never felt such pain after giving birth. But there's no need for him to know. Make peace.- Reborn nodded; going out, he saw Dino sitting on the woman's bed.

-Skull told me a strange story about a circus.- Lambo began, without wasting time.  
-I'm surprised he did.- Reborn replied, and said no more. Maybe Skull really felt it was time to pay back. The mere fact that Lambo was talking to him without insulting him was already more than enough.  
-So it was really you?  
-I couldn't allow it to go on.- Reborn said, then he closed his eyes. The truth was, he didn't want to think about it. When he had burst into one of the mobile housed, he had found himself looking at one of the scenes Skull had described, and the thought that that exuberant, ridden boy had been in the same condition of the poor crying child who was lying on the dirty floor beneath a grown man had nearly driven him crazy.  
He had made a massacre, and when he had shot the last bullet he had found himself circled by hungry children, all looking at him with curiosity. He had taken them all to an orphanage of the Mafia, and with the help of Cavallone Ninth first and Cavallone Tenth after he had managed to fix them all into loving houses and families.  
-Reborn, I... I've acted on impulse.- Lambo said. Reborn shook his head: -You were right. You just met her, you have so much time to regain, and because of me you risked...- it was Lambo's turn to shake his head. Reborn stopped.  
-What matters is that everything went well. I... Reborn, I'm so scared.  
-Scared for what?- the hitman asked, and after a brief hesitation he got closer. He circled the boy's waist with an arm and wasn't pushed back.  
-Everything. I've killed people. I found my family. I... everything is gonna change, everything is changing, and I don't know if I'm ready!- Reborn put the other arm on Lambo's shoulder.  
-You're growing up. It's OK to be afraid. But, you'll see...  
-Don't tell me it will go away because I won't believe it!- Lambo burst.  
-You'll get used to it, here's what.- Reborn confessed, then he put his face against the curve of Lambo's neck to catch his perfume again. He didn't know if they were going to be together again, not with the boy so scared and so shocked, and with a heavy heart he had already started to plan his moving to the Cavallone. But he couldn't avoid picking up and swallowing the smell of Lambo's skin one last time, to save it for a rainy day.  
Then, Lambo's arm circled his waist, and the boy's body started to tremble. Reborn said: -You're shocked. I'm taking you back in.  
-NO!- Lambo yelled, -No, please... let's stay here another while.- Reborn hesitated, then answered: -All the time you want. Even for all our lives.  
-I'm a disaster, Reborn.- Lambo said, and Reborn stepped back just a bit. He put his hands on Lambo's cheeks, then he said: -An adorable disaster.  
-You... you're not angry because I broke your nose?  
-Oh, come on... it's not broken. And I deserved it, I didn't check if the mother of the man I love was safe.  
-Do you...?  
-I do. You dork, what did you think, that a punch in my face is enough to get rid of me?- finally, on Lambo's face a tiny smile appeared.  
-I love you too.- he confessed. Reborn had to fight back the urge to jump in joy, and he managed to only let out his usual smirk. Lambo pointed a finger at the corner of his mouth and said: -I adore it, you know. That smirk.- Reborn put his fingers on his cheeks and replied: -And I adore those dimples,- Lambo smiled, and those very dimples appeared under Reborn's fingertips.  
-Christ, I'll grow cavities.- said a rude voice, right beside them. The two turned around and saw Xanxus, a disgusted expression on his face, followed by Levi and Skull, all of them carrying heavy boxes. Xanxus fixed his one better in his arms, causing a rattling sound of glass against glass: -So, you will keep making the love doves or you're helping here? This shit's heavy.  
-Wine?- Reborn asked, getting closer.  
-There's an Amarone della Valpolicella from 1989!- Skull cheered.  
-It's yours.- Levi added, -I'm drinking the '29 Crystal.  
-Move your asses and stop playing the experts of this shit.- Xanxus said, then he shoved his box in Lambo's arms and went into the infirmary.  
-VOOOIII! WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?! FRAN, GET THAT SHIT OUTTA MY HEAD!- Reborn asked: -What's Squalo talking about?  
-Fran is playing an anime in his head.- Lambo explained, -A boys love with transvestites.  
-Woah, the boy's got some guts.- Skull commented, in awe.  
-Or he's unable to sense danger and he's a sociopath.- Levi replied, more pragmatic. They were still laughing when they entered the infirmary.

-Skull, come here and hold Humpty Dumpty straight!- Dino called.  
-HEY! Humpty Dumpty is a terrifying story!- Viola replied. Dino got up from her bed and left his spot to Skull, who played it cool when the woman's nice ass leaned on his thigh.  
-Thank you,- said Dino, -That position is the least painful for her, but I have things to do, places to see...  
-...Kyoya to screw...- Lambo said, giving a glass to Skull. Then, I-Pin called him and he ran to her.  
-I'm not joking,- Viola said, -No one ever said that Humpty Dumpty was an egg! And they tell that thing to children!- she looked oddly embarrassed.  
-Wait, I think you're right...- Tsuna muttered. He muttered the lullaby then said: -He's not an egg! Oh, damn, that's macabre...  
-Sawada, here.- Xanxus said, shoving a glass in his hand.  
-Ah... thank you, Xanxus, but I don't...- playing dumb at his protest, the Varia Boss filled his glass with a very dark red wine, then he said: -Let it breath before drinking.- Tsuna shuddered and Reborn got close to him. He smiled: -I think I won't have to go away.  
-Oh, that's great! Hem, listen, this wine...  
-Drink it, you deserve it. Believe me.  
-Maybe I do, maybe I don't. Can I speak to you privately?- Reborn turned serious, bent his head at one side and answered: -Of course you can. Let's go away.

-So, Skull.- Dino said, sitting on the bed beside Viola's. -I'll make you an offer you can't refuse.  
-Well, I...  
-I mean, of course if you don't want that's no problem! I'm only saying...  
-...that you can't sound like a mafioso even when you copy lines from movies.- Viola finished for him.  
-Boss, really.- Romario said, -You just said the contrary of what you had just stated.- he, Ivan and Michael were behind Dino, and Michael was covering his face with a hand, already resigned to the fact that his Boss was a dork.  
-But I don't want to force him, it wouldn't be nice!  
-Boss. Just tell him.- Ivan said, -You're confusing him.  
-I endorse the pitch. Get to the point.- Viola said.  
-Alright. So, uhm...- Dino hesitated, -Right now I have a vacant position in my ranks. I'm missing a Cloud Guardian. And since your flames harmonized with mine spontaneously, I thought it was nice to...  
-“I think it's adequate to propose you...”- Viola corrected him, -Holy shit, Dino, we just practised the speech like a minute ago!  
-Alright, alright, you funkiller!- Dino shut her up, then he looked at Skull, who had widened his eyes, and ended: -Do you want to join the Cavallone Family and become my Cloud Guardian?  
-...Oh!- Skull said, when he finally remembered how to breathe.  
-Of course, I know you're a stuntman, and I assure you that there's no problem if you keep doing it. I'm only asking you to give the priority to the Family if we were to call you.- Dino smiled gently. Skull, his chest raising and falling at a high speed, asked: -Will... well, will there be a place where I can put Oodako? I can't leave her again.  
-Oh, of course. We were thinking of setting you in the Capri detachment, I think there's a pretty fair amount of sea, there.  
-We also have a private bay,- Romario stated, -You can keep her there and no one's going to disturb her.  
-And you can bathe naked.- Ivan added.  
-But don't do it if I'm around.- Michael warned him, -I still have scars on my eyes since when I saw Ivan's hairy ass two years ago.  
-Skull's ass is not hairy!- Viola blurt, then she blushed.  
-Alright,- went Ivan, -Let's say I won't ask how you know that and you'll stop making fun of me for that one time I asked you if Gandalf and Dumbledore are played by the same actor.  
-Your confusion on the subject was clearly understandable.- Viola muttered.  
-Wait a second.- Skull said, raising one shaking hand, -Dino, are you telling me that you're offering me a job, that I can still be a stuntman, that I'll be working on the most beautiful island of the planet and that I'll also have a place for Oodako?  
-Yes. And I have no rules against relationships among colleagues.  
-DINO!- Viola protested.  
-...just saying, not that you care.  
-Boss, tell me where I have to sign.- Skull said, moved, and Dino smiled. He took a small chain from under his t-shirt and removed a Ring with a purple stone and the Cavallone logo on it. He took Skull's hand and put it on his palm, then he said: -I'll have you sign the modules as soon as we pass by home. Welcome to the Family.- Dino got up and went to look for Kyoya, while his Guardians repeated his welcome greeting and then they went away as well. Viola yelled at the blonde: -Hey! How come I didn't sign shit when you hired me?  
-Are you alright with this?- Skull asked. She looked at him and muttered: -We weren't here to organize our monthly briscola tournament, you know. Of course I'm alright with this.- Skull smiled.

-I-Pin, are you sure that...- Lambo asked, but the girl interrupted him: -No, I'm not sure at all. But Fon asked me, so I'm doing it.  
-Alright...- Lambo obliged. Behind them, a girl from the Sun Squad and one from the Storm Squad were following, trembling. The first one said: -We'll get ourselves in trouble.  
-My direct superior is Belphegor, I've always been in trouble,- said the other one, -Why couldn't I choose a career in the countability field?  
-For the same reason I didn't. We suck with numbers.- Incognito Mansion was so silent that their whispered echoed beneath the half-destroyed walls, together with the step of the four of them.  
I-Pin hesitated, then she went down the steps leading to the cellar. Lambo avoided a big blood stain and followed her; he was turning back to encourage the two Varia girls, when he heard I-Pin say: -Stay where you are. Don't move.- the sound she got in response was a dying moan.  
Lambo went down a few steps, and he saw I-Pin kneeling on the floor, beside Verde. The man's glasses were shattered, he was pale and covered in blood.  
-My teacher, Fon, asked me to save your life.- I-Pin said, -If I do so, will you cause troubles? Make a gesture.- Verde hesitated and looked at her in anger, then he shook his head.  
-Come over, Bea.- I-Pin called. The girl from the Sun Squad kneeled beside Verde, summoned a small hermit crab and started to treat him. I-Pin added: -We're not alone. Andrea is from the Storm Squad and she's ready to kill you if you don't behave. Do you get me?- Verde nodded.  
-Enough.- said Lambo, and Bea stopped: -But he still isn't...  
-The blood stopped. I want him alive, but I don't want him to be able to cause trouble.- Bea looked at I-Pin, who nodded.  
-Let's take him to the others.- Lambo said. With Andrea's help, he lifted the scientist up.

Reborn looked at his former student and smiled widely.  
Tsuna, his little goofy tuna, had grown up. He was still unsure of himself, and he undervalued himself too much, but he had grown up.  
And he had become a man like few can hope to become.  
-So? What do you think about it?- Tsuna asked, afraid.  
-I think the Ninth will surely agree.- Reborn answered, then he put both hands on his shoulders and looked him in his eyes: -Dame Tsuna. I'm proud of you.  
-Tsunaaa!- Lambo called, -I-Pin and I made one of our messes!- Tsuna turned around and the blood froze in his veins when he saw Verde. Reborn took his gun out.  
-The hell possessed you?- the hitman asked.  
-Reborn, I beg your pardon.- said Fon, coming out of the infirmary, -I asked them to. Viper asked me to save Verde and you know I can't tell her no.  
-Are you crazy?! He took your Flames, he nearly killed us all, he...  
-He deserves a trial.- Tsuna interrupted him. His eyes were sparkling, stuck on the two youngsters of the Family, -And that's what he'll get.  
-You can take off the seal.- Verde muttered, -I mean, for Fon and Viper. Reborn, at Camp Derby I have some special bullets, charged with Storm and Sun Flames. They are built to that purpose.  
-You just gave me the only information I needed. I could kill you right now, you know?- Verde bowed his head and didn't answer.  
-Let him live.- Mukuro said, appearing at Tsuna's side, -He's honestly regretting what he's done.- Tsuna smiled at him and Mukuro smiled back. -Oya, oya, Sawada Tsunayoushi. You'll turn me into a tender heart like you.


	22. Scattered Thunderstorms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermaths of the battle

Lambo woke up in his familiar bed at Varia Mansion.  
He hadn't the slightest idea about how he got there.  
For a second he wondered whether the battle wasn't all just a dream, due to the stress of arguing with Belphegor and with Reborn, then Lussuria's voice echoed in the house: -WHAT?! TVELFTH OF JULY?! I ONLY HAVE THREE MONTHS AND A HALF TO ORGANIZE EVERYTHING!- and Lambo, suddenly alert, jumped out of bed.  
Looking back, that was a huge mistake. -Ouch, shit...- he said heartedly. He stumbled to the door to understand what was going on; when he opened it, what he saw paid him back for all the pain.  
On the doorstep there was Reborn, his dress shirt still unbuttoned on his chest, his hair messy, and he was holding a trail with two cups of coffee and a mountain of warm croissants.  
-Ciaossu, Lambo.  
-Good morning, Reborn.- on Lambo's face appeared a wide, spontaneous smile, -What's happening out there?- he asked, cautiously moving aside to let him pass.  
-Xanxus and Squalo are getting married, Lussuria is making a list of the thing he'll have to do in three months and a half. Belphegor bet that he will find himself tied up and muzzled in a few hours.  
-Optimistic estimate.- Lambo commented; he was about to close the door behind Reborn, when Viola passed by, trudging with only one crutch.  
-Mum?- he called; she turned around and smiled at him.  
-Hi, honey, good morning! You didn't see me, alright?  
-What's happening?- Reborn asked, after putting the trail down on Lambo's desk.  
-Shamal wants to give me a massage. I'm running away while Bianchi tries to kill him.- she answered, without stopping her trudging. She put a hand off the crutch to wave and went on. Reborn closed the door and Lambo asked: -Wouldn't it be easier with two crutches?  
-Dino hid the other one. He said she's training so that at Christmas she'll be able to cosplay Tiny Tim and get up during the dinner to say “And may the Lord bless us all!”  
-Sometimes it's hard to remember that Dino is a mafia boss.  
-Yeah. And I raised him.- huffing a laugh, Reborn turned around and sat on one of the chairs. He drank a sip of his coffee, then he asked: -How do you feel?  
-My left big toe doesn't hurt. Everything else does. What about you?  
-I would have slept for ten days.- Lambo smiled and dipped the croissant in the coffee, then he bit on it. -How are ze ozers?- he asked, his mouth full.  
-They're alright, I'd say. No one suffered permanent damage, or so it seems.- Reborn lied. The truth was that, even if the losses had been minimal, and null in the Families' highest ranks, many had suffered damages that wouldn't heal easily.  
Squalo, to mention the first one, was already on the list for another heart transplant. The doctors of the Cavallone had found some necrotic areas on his heart, due to the heart attack and the following slow intervention; if before the battle it would have been enough to change his medicines, now it wasn't so anymore.  
Fran had had a major damage at his head; at the moment he had no problem of memory or coordination, but the doctor had commanded him to wear a soft hat until they weren't sure that he wouldn't suffer further damages if he was to bump his head. Belphegor had hysterically laughed about it for twenty odd minutes, saying he knew in advance that the frog-shaped hat was necessary.  
Gokudera had lost part of the mobility in his shoulder: the interruption during Lussuria's treatment had precluded the correct rebuilding of the capsule, and for the rest of his life he would be forced to move it the less he could, if not for particular exercises, and he probably would suffer from pain now and then. At the time being, he wasn't able to sleep on his left side.  
Lussuria himself had his Flames reduced to the bare minimum; he was gaining back slowly, but the experts of the Vongola had already told him that it would take him a lot of time, at least a year, for them to be as powerful as they were before.  
Hibari's lung had almost collapsed, and even if he had had cures he seemed to be struggling breathing; only time would have revealed if they had to intervene surgically. Chrome as well, weakened by the battle and deprived by her internal organs, was forced in bed: she had weakened a lot, and maybe only the intervention of Lambo, who gave her the shielded jacket, had saved her life.  
Viola had suffered many damages at her organs, due to the bullet she was hit with, and would have probably carried a limp for the rest of her life. Luckily for her, Skull had volunteered to be her “old-age stick”, which had provoked a long series of puns about where he wanted to shove his stick in, mostly by Dino.  
Dino was another problem: he hadn't been too badly hurt, but Reborn was really worried for him: he knew that he was a dork and that he loved cracking jokes, but since they came back he had been a real pain in the ass. It was impossible to have a serious conversation with him, and Reborn knew by experience that that was nothing more than a coping mechanism. But he also knew, and Romario agreed with him, that they couldn't do anything but wait for him to speak. In the meanwhile, he shared cookies with everyone that was willing to go along.  
But the person who had suffered the main damages was in front of Reborn; the killer fondly looked at Lambo, and the boy caught his glance: -What now?- he asked.  
-I was thinking that you're so strong.  
-Oh, come on, don't make me blush at breakfast!- Lambo weakly protested.  
-Later, I'd like you to be visited again. Yesterday, the doctors of the Cavallone took a look, but I'd like you to be checked more carefully. You were badly hurt during the battle.  
-Alright. Since we're on the subject, how did I get here?- Reborn smiled: -We carried you. You fell asleep on the helicopter and no one could wake you up. You owe me one, Belphegor wanted to draw something on your face.  
-Probably a dick. He's really good at drawing, he makes some very realistic ones. Thank you.  
-You're doing well, here. I see.- Reborn said, trying to remain vague.  
-Yeah. But it's not home.- Lambo replied. He swallowed his last piece of croissant and took Reborn's hand: -Home is wherever you are.- Reborn laid back, baffled. He would have loved to say something in return, but his so-well-working brain/mouth connection seemed to be out of order. Then, Lambo said: -Listen, I wanted to say some romantic thing and then kiss you, but I can't bend any more than this. Wouldn't you please meet me halfway?- Reborn smirked.  
-What if I said no, that you have to come and take it?  
-You'll have to wait, then. I think six, seven hours will do. If we're lucky.- Reborn bent forward and kissed him. The touch of his lips, which he felt like having agonized to feel again for a thousand years, made everything else seem small and unimportant. He decided he didn't care that Lambo hadn't brushed his teeth yet and took out his tongue to open his lips, then a girly giggle came from the door and someone said in falsetto: -Oho, they're kissing!  
-Dino.- Reborn sighed on Lambo's lips, then he asked himself how on Earth he had understood that it was a quotation from Disney's Robin Hood.  
-Maybe because Dino watches that movie at least once a month.- Lambo said, then they stared at each other, astonished.  
-Did you just... read my mind?- Reborn asked, then he realized that Dino was asking himself if that was some kind of mockery. On the back of his mind, the image of Dani, his dead brother, floated, clear and close. Behind all of that, Skull's thoughts, a hellish mess of pick up lines, memories from the circus and the struggle to remember the lines from the song about Prince John.  
-Shit.- Reborn said, then he suddenly got up. He ran out of the door, jumping over Dino and Skull, who were crouching like two idiots beside the door, and ran to the infirmary. Dino yelled at him: -Hey, what does it mean that we really found each other?

-What's happening?- he asked, short of breath, entering the infirmary. But everything was calm, even Bianchi had stopped trying to kill Shamal.  
-Nothing, why?- a doctor asked. Then he added: -Of course I have heard what you said, what...- he got pale, -You're not a ventriloquist, aren't you?  
-VOOOOOOOOOIIIIIIIII!!! MAKE IT STOP OR KICK ME UNCONSCIOUS!!!- Squalo entered the infirmary, waving his sword and wearing a funny pyjama with little sharks on it. -I MEAN IT! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR THE SHIT BELPHEGOR THINKS WHEN HE FU... oh, here it's not that loud.  
-Shit. Fran!- Reborn said, -Maybe he's losing control of his powers because of the head damage, and now that he's not focused because he's making love... this could be a problem.  
-VOI, good luck with the coitus interruptus. I suggest a good armour.- Squalo answered, then he stormed out saying: -If Xanxus asks where I am, I'm in the farthest place from Belphegor's room!- Reborn asked himself how he was supposed to act. His main fear was that Lambo found out who his father was by intercepting a random thought, but for the moment the risk was low: Viola was focused on other things, and Gokudera had left early in the morning, together with Tsuna, to meet the Ninth.  
But as soon as they were back, Gokudera would go around with the fixed idea to be seen by everyone: he and Viola had arranged to speak to Lambo later that day. He turned towards Viper, who was reading a book: -How can I avoid thinking about the pink elephant in the room?  
-What?- she replied.  
-I have to hide a thought. What can I do?- as an answer, Viper started whistling “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”. Reborn huffed and left the room, asking himself how came that everyone was obsessed by Disney stuff.  
While he was taking the long road to come back to Lambo, however, he realized that the song was infecting his brain, avoiding him to think to any other thing. He came back, looked into the infirmary and said: -Thank you.  
-Don't mention it.

Fran rolled his head back and came into Belphegor's hand, letting out a long moan of pleasure. Having sex with the Prince was always an overwhelming experience, but that time it had been even more wonderful: it seemed like Belphegor knew exactly what Fran wanted. It had been like being in heaven.  
Worried for the tremendous blow on his head he had received during the battle, he had hoped for Bel to use some kindness instead of going in like a crazy train: as much as he loved his being a bit rude, he was afraid of bumping his head again. And, like in a dream, Belphegor had penetrated him slowly, slipping in his soft flesh with overwhelming kindness, and he had loved him gently, looking him in the eyes. Yes, looking at him: Fran had always wanted to look at those blue eyes during sex, and for some unknown reason that day Belphegor had moved his bangs away from his face just enough to show him those two puddles of sapphires he hid from the rest of the world. And when Fran had asked himself vaguely how could they look together, he had felt himself being pulled up from the bed; Belphegor had taken him from behind, while he leaned to the drawer, and their glances had locked in the mirror. Fran had felt embarrassed to see his own face distorted by the pleasure and reddened, and Belphegor had whispered in his ear words of passion, revealing to him how much he liked to see his face like this.  
-Oh, Bel senpai...- he murmured, -It was wonderful, almost like you could read my mind...- Belphegor slipped out of him, then he carried him bridal-style to his own bed and put him down there; he laid beside him and covered both with his silken blankets. Just a few minutes, the time to gain back some composure, then they would wash themselves and look for the others. Judging by the lack of yells, Lussuria seemed to have stopped freaking out, somehow. Belphegor bet on a stop imposed by Levi with his fists.  
-I think the Boss told him he can choose the invitations' layout. If Levi had punched him, we could hear him whining from here.- Fran said. Belphegor stared at him: -Froggy. I didn't speak.- he said.  
-But I... wait. What am I thinking of?  
-A... blue pig?- Belphegor answered, puzzled. Fran sighed: -I think there's something wrong with me. We are in telepathic contact.  
-Do you think it's for the blow you took?- Belphegor asked; the telepathy was disappearing, and Fran couldn't understand why the Prince was blushing, but he welcomed with awe and happiness the slight caress with which the blond moved a lock of his hair beneath his ear.  
-I think it's possible. I'll tell the doctor. I hope they can fix it.  
-VOOOIII!- an unmistakable voice announced the upcoming destruction of the door; as predicted, it was shoved open and violently hit the wall, -BRAT, GET YOUR DAMN HEAD FIXED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!  
-You can't enter in the Prince's room!- Belphegor protested, incoherently covering his chest with the blankets.  
-Squalo senpai?- Fran replied, puzzled, then he got pale: -The... the telepathy?  
-VOI! While you were twiddling each other by dick thrusts, we were out there hearing each other's thoughts! And let me say that, you're with a goddamn pervert!  
-As if I already didn't know...- Fran muttered.  
-Get out of the Prince's room!- Belphegor commanded. Squalo stared at him, not impressed in the slightest, and stood where he was. He said: -So. When do you plan to solve this thing?- Fran sighed.  
-Just give me a moment to wash myself, then I'm going to the infirmary.  
-And mind not to repeat the experience. Trust me, for your friend Lambo's sake.- Squalo said, then he left, slamming the door behind him.  
-What has Lambo to do with it?- Fran asked himself.  
-I heard Reborn speaking with Viola. Today they're gonna tell him who his father is. I don't know who he is, but from what I heard I think Lambo could take the news not really...  
-It's Gokudera.- Fran revealed. Belphegor stayed silent for a while, then he said: -Alright, for Lambo's sake enough with the sexy time for today. He owes me a favour. Now let's get up, Froggy, I'm taking you to the infirmary.  
-Are you alright?- Fran asked. Belphegor blushed and lied: -Of course, the Prince is always in perfect shape! What kind of a question is that?  
-Are you sure?- Fran asked, hugging him. He pulled himself close to his face, almost at kiss distance, and Belphegor surrendered: -Alright. I think I intercepted one strange thought of yours.- Fran had the decency to blush. He had an idea about what thought Belphegor was referring to. The blond looked away, struggled to cross his arms on his chest and faked indifference: -You should be explaining the Prince whether it was related to his skilful way of making sex or if it was something... more general.- Fran put a hand on his chest, at the left. Belphegor's heart was running wild. He brushed his cheek with his own lips and whispered: -No, Bel senpai. I love you regardless of sex.- without knowing how it happened, he got his mouth shut by a kiss.

-Reborn,- Tsuna asked, a bit perplexed, -Are you singing “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”?  
-Long story, I'll explain later. Go, I'll send Lambo.- the killer pointed at a small living room; he had previously asked Xanxus the permission to use it, explaining him the reason why it was needed.  
Tsuna got in, followed by Gokudera; sitting on one of the two couches, Dino and Viola were waiting. The blond asked: -How did it go with the Ninth?  
-It went well.- Tsuna answered, -He approved my project. We filed some papers to make it official. He would like you to sign them, among others. To show your support.  
-Let me set up a few questions, before. I'll ask Romario to make an appointment.- Dino smiled, tranquillizing, and Tsuna smiled back at him.  
-My father isn't going to take it easy.- he said, becoming serious again.  
-Tsuna.- Gokudera said, faking a calm he didn't feel, -The Tenth Vongola Boss is you, not him. Xanxus told him that, too.  
-What?- Dino asked, -When?  
-The other day.- Gokudera answered, -Iemitsu complained about something I can't even remember...  
-Takeshi cracking jokes to ease the tension.- Tsuna recalled.  
-Right. Well, anyway, Xanxus said something among the lines of “Even if Tsuna is a pussy, he made more than all of his ancestors”.  
-Holy shit. Was that a concussion?- Dino asked.  
-I'm keeping my eyes opened for Loki's wolves.- Viola said, speaking for the first time, -That's the sign that the Ragnarok is coming.- Gokudera laughed, embarrassed. Tsuna bent forward and put a hand on the woman's knee: -Hey. It will go well, you'll see.- he said.  
She barely had the time to show a shy smile, then someone knocked and the door was opened. Reborn pushed Lambo into the room with a gentle caress on his back, and the boy looked around, lost. Dino held Viola's hand to encourage her and she said: -Lambo. I think you have a lot of questions, don't you?  
-Well... yes, yes I do.- Lambo answered, blushing.  
-Come on, sit down with us.- Tsuna invited him with a smile, -And ask everything you want.- Lambo turned around towards Reborn: -Are you staying?  
-I don't know, Lambo, this is a personal...  
-I want you to stay.- Reborn crossed glances with the others, who all nodded. He closed the door behind himself and leaned to the wall. Lambo sat down, looked around and took a deep breath. He was clearly unsure about what he had to ask first. In the end, he asked: -How come you're so young?


	23. Serendipity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lambo is revealed everything.  
> Dino jokes way too much.  
> A new Boss comes up.

Viola had spoken for ten odd minutes, explaining to Lambo what had happened, and he allowed himself some time to elaborate the whole thing.  
After all, he said to himself while the others respected his silence, he had the right to. He had just found out he had been living in a time that wasn't his, far from his mother's love, for a stupid accident.  
A quotation from Harry Potter irrationally popped into his mind: “Terrible things happen to wizards that play with timelines”. And even though nothing really bad had happened to Lambo, it still was terrible. Thinking at how the Bovino had acted, Lambo re-evaluated Tsuna's and Gokudera's behaviour: they let him roam by himself, of course, but they were always ready to intervene if he was to disappear for long. It had always been like this, he remembered, even when he was little: he recalled the time when Haru had taken him away, armed with her best intentions, and for one day and a half Tsuna had been sacking and pillaging Namimori to find him.  
And Lambo was also sure that he was allowed all that freedom thanks to Hibari and I-Pin. The Cloud Guardian had the town so firmly in his hands that the criminal rate was incredibly low, and even if he seemed to be unable to show he cared, Lambo was sure that, if his men were to report to him that Lambo was in danger, Hibari would intervene as soon as possible. And I-Pin had always been really responsible, as a child and more as a teenager, so as long as Lambo was with her he couldn't manage to do something really dangerous.  
Instead, the Bovinos had left him with no surveillance in a place where they stored dangerous experiments and machineries, and because of that Lambo had found himself alone and lost in another time, where nobody seemed to care about him. Which, probably, was only half the truth: they probably were terrified as well. Lambo clearly was a Bovino, but he had no sure relatives. At four years old, he probably didn't even know that his mother's name wasn't “Mum”, so he was virtually impossible to locate. Maybe, if it had happened when he was a little bit older, he could have said his mother's name and they could have managed to understand something more. Instead he had come out of nowhere, with no relatives at all, and so he was only a problem. It was likely, as Viola had stated a few minutes prior, that his obsession with killing Reborn came from having heard her talking about the hitman on the phone: Lambo had no idea about who this Reborn guy could be, he only know that his mum ended up crying everytime his name was said, so he definitely had to be a bad guy.  
-What a mess.- he muttered.  
-I'll let you guess how many times I had to explain it to Levi.- Viola replied with a half smile, -Oh, by the way, he's your great uncle, take note.  
-At least it's not Belphegor, could be worse.- Lambo joked, still traumatized but not willing to weight his turbulence over his mother. After all, he had found a warm home where a lot of funny things kept happening, while she was left alone, abandoned and betrayed by her family, asking herself if her son was alive or dead, if he was alright or if something bad happened to him, if he remembered her... with a sting of remorse, Lambo remembered that he used to call Nana Sawada “Mum”. Looking for a way out that could make him feel better, he asked: -Did you... had your hair short? When I was little.  
-Well, I... yes, I did, why?- Lambo hesitated: he didn't know how to tell her without hurting her. Dino bent forward and said: -Helmet hair, bangs. And she straightened them, this weirdo. She had the same haircut as Nana Sawada.- Lambo sighed in relief. Viola looked at Tsuna and said: -Please, know that I'm very grateful to your family. You took care of my baby. Do you think your mum would like to meet me?  
-Of course she will! And you're invited for New Year's Day together with Dino, mind it.  
-I will gla...  
-Remember to invite Skull as well,- Dino interrupted her, -It brings good luck to have sex on New Year's Day, you don't want to deprive my Guar...  
-DINO! FOR FUCK'S SAKE!- Viola protested, blushing, then she muttered something that came out as inaudible because of the blond's laughters. Thankful for the momentary comic relief, Lambo smiled, and Dino elbowed Viola: -Am I or am I not the best godfather in the world? See, I made my godson smile!  
-You're my godfather! Really?- Lambo asked.  
-He is.- Viola answered, -I'm sorry, I was on the fence between him and the hobo who used to beg for alms in front of the church, I chose Dino because he has a ton of money.- Dino laughed.  
-Why did you hate Reborn so much?- Lambo asked. Viola glanced at the hitman and hesitated, then she slowly said: -He poisoned my brother by mistake. But I didn't know that it had been an accident, I only thought that he had killed him because they were seeing each other and Romeo had gone with... another person. Therefore...- Viola bit her lip, uncertain.  
-Just tell him,- Gokudera muttered, -It's no use to dance around.  
-Well...- Viola stopped. Gokudera intensely stared at her for quite a while, then he looked at Lambo: -I am your father. Viola thought that Reborn had forced your grandfather to push you away so that I would never know of your existence, but it was a lie.- Lambo stood silent for a long time. He kept staring at Gokudera, his mouth open and his eyes widened out, then he screeched: -...'xcuse me, what?  
-Oh, you're always so delicate, Hayato.- Viola commented. Then she sighed and she bent forward with a tiny moan of pain. She took Lambo's hand and said: -Hayato and I met ten odd years ago. He was on a mission at Giardini Bovino on behalf of the Vongola. We became friends, none of us was happy... he was in love but he thought his Juudaime would never love him back, I had just lost my fiancé... long story short, we ended up in bed. And a few weeks later I found out I was pregnant.- Lambo looked at Gokudera. Hastily, he asked: -You just couldn't use a goddamn condom, right?  
-Hey! There were two of us, that night!- Gokudera replied, nervous.  
-Hayato is right, Lambo.- Viola said, -There were two of us. But we were both drunk and we didn't think at the consequences.- Lambo shut up.  
-Anyway, when I told my dad, he said I had to marry Hayato. I refused.  
-And you did the right thing, he's an asshole!- Lambo barked.  
-No, he isn't. He's not an asshole.- Viola politely said, -He's just a bit rude and hard to understand. I didn't marry him because it wouldn't have worked. He was already in love with Tsunayoshi, I was still in love with Dani... we would have just sucked, together.- Lambo didn't answer. He was trembling.  
-What's with Reborn in all this?- he asked. The hitman answered: -Enrico Bovino produced a fake letter where I supposedly said that, for the sake of the Vongolas, Viola was to be sent away and no one had to know that you were Gokudera's son. Of course, I didn't know anything about the whole thing. If I did,- he added, looking at Viola, -I would have found you a place to stay and the support you needed.  
-It went well anyway. Life is nice with the Cavallone.- she replied. Lambo knew he was supposed to tell her that she didn't have to pretend she was strong, but what came out of his mouth was: -So, I'm a mistake. I should have never been born at all.- it took him a while to realize that the reason why he suddenly felt very numb was that Gokudera had slapped him as hard as he could.  
-Don't. You ever. Say that again.- Gokudera said, his voice a shiver, -You aren't. A mistake.  
-Hayato...- Tsuna whispered, taking him by his elbow, -Tell him. Tell him what you told me.- Gokudera blushed, but he kept his grudge and didn't speak.  
Tsuna stared at him for long, then he sat on the coffee table in front of Lambo's sofa, he put his hands on his knees and said: -Hayato said his only remorse he had was not having a child of his own. This he told me long ago, before knowing about you.  
-You're not a mistake.- Viola repeated, -Don't you ever think that. If I thought you were, I would have aborted. But I have been loving you since before you were born.  
-Serendipity.- Reborn said. Everyone looked at him. The hitman, still leaning to the wall, his arms crossed on his chest, raised a hand to fix his fedora so that it covered his face: -It means finding something wonderful while you weren't looking for it or while you were looking for something else. You are a serendipity.- Lambo stared at him in silence for long.  
Viola's hand was still holding his, Gokudera was still standing and his breath was short, Tsuna was in front of him, looking behind towards Reborn and Dino was still on his couch, a hand on Viola's shoulder.  
-I feel so wrong...- Lambo whispered. Gokudera nervously twitched and turned around; Tsuna got up and hugged him. Lambo saw Gokudera'a shoulders bow and jump with the rhythm of his sighs and felt even worse; he asked himself if he, in his shoes, would have reacted the same way, but he couldn't find an answer. It was true that he somehow always felt safe with Gokudera, but the thought of their relationship being closer than an average work and friendship had never crossed his mind.  
-I know, it's all wrong.- Dino said, -If this was a just world, we wouldn't be here. But we are. And we chose to be at the good side, and that's what matters. It's as...- Dino looked at Viola, but she said: -Oh, no way. You tried to quote movies and started mixing them, now you suck it up.  
-What I'm saying, Lambo, is that we didn't come here to dismiss the subject easily. We're here because we had to make everything clear, because we couldn't carry on if it wasn't. And we have to carry on. And look at this questionable dude by my side. Do you think she doesn't love you?- Lambo looked at Viola. She smiled, even though her eyes were filled with tears: -I love you with all my heart, my baby.  
-And the hard cookie, up there.- Dino went on, gesturing towards Gokudera, -Do you think he doesn't love you?- Lambo looked at Gokudera who was trying to gain back some composure.  
-I love you. I always did. It's just... I don't know how to show it.- Gokudera whispered. There was a moment of suspension when his words seemed to echo in the air, then Lambo got up and threw himself in his arms. The sigh that escaped from Gokudera's lips could barely be heard, but Lambo felt it sting while it stuck in his chest.  
Then, Viola's hands perched on his arms, that were around Gokudera's shoulders, and her warm breasts adhered to Lambo's back. In a trembling whisper, the woman said: -I wish it had gone differently. I could have investigated more, maybe I would have found out that Reborn's letter was a fake one, and...  
-Viola, that's bullshit.- Gokudera said, unexpectedly taking her defences, -You were alone and scared, you were pregnant and you had just been kicked out of your home.- Lambo felt Viola's forehead against his neck, while the woman shoved her face in it.  
-No one made grave mistakes, here.- Tsuna said, -We're all human. We make mistakes. That's how it works. But we're all here, aren't we? We can start again.- Lambo let go of Gokudera; Viola's hands went to his shoulders and they remained there, comforting.  
-Just... give me some time, alright?- Lambo said, looking in Gokudera's eyes. He had never realized that they were just slightly lighter than his ones.  
-All the time you need.- Gokudera answered. Viola said in Lambo's ear, loud enough for anyone to hear: -I think if you call him “dad” when you need something you'll get permission in no time.- Gokudera violently blushed.  
-Can you stop being a bitch?- he yelled.  
-Not in this life.- she answered with a smirk. Dino stretched and commented: -I think she'll get better if she manages to get laid.  
-Pumba!- Viola called him out, -Not in front of the kids!  
-Oh... sorry.- he replied. Lambo forced himself to smile. All the weight of the revelations seemed to fall upon him all of a sudden, and now he didn't want anything but find a bed and something else to think.  
Reborn got closer and said: -Lambo. I think we said everything, and you promised you would get checked again. Shall we go?- his warm hand on Lambo's arm seemed to be everything he needed. He lifted his hand and entangled his fingers to the hitman's.  
-This I'm forced to see...- Viola said, pretending to be shocked, then she shuddered and said: -Well. At least I didn't have to make the speech about the birds and the bees.  
-I'd say the bees and the bees. There are two stings, there.  
-Dino, you're the worst.- Gokudera said. The blond giggled and Viola exchanged a worried glance with Reborn. Dino was really joking way too much: not that he used to be always serious, but he always managed to keep some form of decency. There was something wrong with him.  
Reborn nodded at Viola and went out, hand in hand with Lambo, towards the infirmary. Along the corridor they met Skull, who asked: -Reborn, do you happen to know where Dino and Tsuna are?  
-In that room.- Reborn answered, gesturing to the door he had just closed, -What's happening? Are there problems?  
-I honestly don't know. This chick showed up, she said her name is Olivia Bovino. She said she's the new Bovino Boss. She's in the meeting room with Xanxus and Enma.  
-Enma is probably shitting his pants.- Lambo commented. Skull nodded: -I think he's about to enter a coma as a self-defense. Also because Xanxus is in full murder mode.  
-If she didn't change, I can understand why.- Reborn answered, -I know her, she'll drive a saint crazy. Did she told you what she's doing here?  
-She only told me that she would bite my butt all night long, then Squalo asked me to go and call Tsuna and Dino.- Skull answered. He looked vaguely indignant, who knows if because of the butt statement or because he was being used as a messenger. Reborn hesitated, doubtful, then he said: -Try to get Viola as well to come with them. Olivia is her older sister, they will probably try to slaughter each oth... what now?- Skull had gotten pale.  
-I... well, I might have told Olivia that I have a girlfriend... and I might have said a random name that begins with a V and ends with a “iola”.  
-You're an idiot.- Reborn scolded him, shaking his head.  
-Maybe not...- Lambo said. The two former Arcobalenos looked at him, puzzled, and the boy said: -Wait. Trust me.- he left Reborn's hand and went to the room they had just left. He knocked and opened the door without waiting for a response: -Hey, Tsuna nii, Dino, there's a chick in the meeting room that's about to get murdered by Xanxus.  
-Happens all the time!- said Dino, then he laughed.  
-She said her name is Olivia Bovino...- Viola muttered something that sounded like “Oh, Jesus Christ”, -I don't know what she wants because Squalo sent Skull to call you two as soon as she started to flirt.  
-Flirt?- Tsuna asked, -With Squalo or with Xanxus?  
-With Skull.- Lambo answered. A deep silence fell, and the two former Arcobaleno looked at each other, wondering what was happening.  
-Dino, get your ass out of that couch.- said a voice from the catacombs. Dino replied: -Yes! I knew it!- and Lambo stepped back. Tsuna and Gokudera came out first, followed by Dino who was helping Viola; her second crutch hadn't been found yet.  
While they were passing by, Viola let go of her crutch, circled Skull's neck with both arms and kissed him on his mouth for long; then, with a war grudge, grabbed the crutch that Dino was handing her and said: -Is the concept clear, Skull?  
-Crystal clear!- he merrily answered, with the world's biggest idiot smile on his face. He turned around and looked at her and Dino go towards the meeting room. Tsuna reached their side and Skull let out a loving sigh.  
-You're being ridiculous.- Reborn stated, then Lambo hugged him by his waist.  
-Hear who's talking.- Skull joked, confirming the hitman's suspect that his face had just turned a nice fluo red.  
-I'm taking Lambo to the infirmary. Go wank somewhere else, you dork.  
-HEY!- Lambo protested, -It's my mum we're speaking of, I don't want to know these things!- Skull laughed hysterically. Reborn shook his head, a half smile on his face, and hugged Lambo back. Gently, he pushed him towards the infirmary.

-What is she doing here?- Olivia asked first of all.  
-She's my Lightning Guardian.- Dino answered, a knowing smirk on his face, -You must be Olivia. Dino Cavallone, pleased to meet you.- he said, going forward with his hand ready to shake hers. The woman shook it, and Tsuna introduced himself as well: -Sawada Tsunayoshi, pleased to meet you.- he then looked at Xanxus: -Shall we take seats?  
-You're welcome, Decimo.- Tsuna managed to smile kindly, while rivers of cold sweat were trailing down his spine.  
-Let's be clear.- Olivia said, -I'm not letting Viola take the power.- the other woman gritted her teeth so hard that her tendons appeared on her cheeks.  
-We can discuss the matter.- Tsuna said, leaning on the back of his chair. He had willingly taken a seat on one of the long sides of the table, since Xanxus was sitting at the head of the table. At Xanxus' right there was Squalo, and at his left there was Enma. Following Tsuna's instructions, Gokudera, Dino and Viola sat on the long sides, leaving some space between them and Olivia, who was now alone at the other head of the table.  
Tsuna crossed his legs, pretending to be more sure of himself than what he felt like, then he said: -I can convince Viola not to raise any request over the position of Boss of the Bovino. But I want something from you. And I'm not willing to negotiate.- Xanxus stared at Tsuna, impressed but not surprised by his firm stance. As time passed by, he had had to admit that beside that shy kid façade there was a particularly hard spine. He lifted the glass of tequila that was in front of him on the table and drank a sip to hide a tiny smile.


	24. Ashes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Xanxus meets Timoteo.  
> Tsuna speaks with his Guardians.  
> Dino fulfills his late father's last wish.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi minna!  
> I hope everyone spent nice and safe holidays.  
> A quick note on the following chap: I'm not into the thing that Levi was watching on his phone, it's just that my best friend tries to traumatize me with all the weird shit he finds on the net.  
> Oh, and "papà" is italian for "dad".  
> Thank you to everyone who will read, comments are always welcome!  
> XOXO

Xanxus was waiting for the Ninth to arrive.  
A week had passed since the meeting with the Bosses of the main Families of the Vongola alliance, and finally all the crowd had went away.  
The only one who was still staying at Varia Mansion was Lambo: he had been properly treated, but the doctors had found out that his bones were only barely fixed. The risk for them of breaking again during the travel was too high for him to leave, and Xanxus had accepted to take care of him for a while still; the idea was to send him back to Japan with Fran on their private jet, in a week or so if they both felt better enough.  
Xanxus looked at the enormous pendulum and sighed: luckily, Fran had stopped to have those attacks of contagious telepathy when he had sex with Belphegor. It had happened a few times more, and during the first one Xanxus had clearly heard Lussuria's thoughts about some unknown postman: the things he wanted to do with that man were incredibly perverted. The second time, Xanxus was sitting in his office, reading a report, and Levi was in front of him: for sure, Xanxus would have given an arm and a leg not to have a projection of the porn movie he was watching on his cellphone.  
Both experience had been so traumatic that for a whole day he couldn't get near to Squalo, even if the swordsman had sworn on his pride that the idea of using his amputated arm as a sex toy had never crossed his mind.  
-Xanxus. My son, here I am.- the Ninth said; Coyote Nougat pushed his wheelchair into the meeting room, then he looked at his Boss: -You can leave now, Coyote. Thank you.- the old man said.  
Xanxus looked at him while the man's eyes were down, on the blanket that he was fixing on his legs.  
He understood that what Sawada Iemitsu had said was true: Timoteo Vongola was really sick. The old man looked at him and asked: -So. How are you, my son?  
-I'm fine.- Xanxus rudely answered, -The same can't be said about you, it seems.  
-Old age got me too, in the end.- Timoteo answered with a sad smile.  
-Someone told me that it's not old age only.  
-I'm trying to keep this a secret, so I'll ask you to debunk it. I don't want the Vongola to be vulnerable because the Boss is weak.  
-What's that? Pancreas?  
-Stomach. A good news, in its context, they say that pancreas in much more painful.- Xanxus didn't comment. He had no idea what to say.  
-Anyway,- the Ninth went on, -I'd like you to sign those papers for the inheritance. Only your signature is missing, then Sawada will be invested with full authority before I will be forced to go out in public once again like this.- he took a trembling breath, -I try to avoid, but you know... you miss too many meetings and people start asking questions.  
-Yeah.- Timoteo weakly gestured to a pile of sheets on the coffee table, and Xanxus produced his MontBlanc to sign them one by one, as quick as possible. He was officially giving up to the title of Tenth Vongola Boss and he didn't want to think about it more then it was necessary. As soon as he had signed the last paper, right under Cavallone's flamboyant autograph, the Ninth said: -Now, there's only the parchment. It's in my safe, the one behind the painting by Monet. Which will be yours, for your information.- Xanxus didn't reply. He moved the painting with care and delicately put it on the floor; he remembered spending hours and hours admiring that masterpiece, as a child. He asked: -What's the code?  
-Your birth date.- Xanxus saw his own hand shaking while he turned the handle of the safe and he commanded himself to keep calm. It was nothing, after all, just the same old sentimental man, and soon he would be dead. And leaving behind his Monet for Xanxus, no less. He said to himself that maybe he was getting old as well: he felt strangely nervous at the thought of Timoteo's death, and his mind went to the envelope he had in his jacket's pocket. He had put it there without very much thinking about it, and he wasn't even sure that something could come up with that, so much that he didn't even discuss the matter with Squalo. His tiny nod when he had seen Xanxus put that stuff in his pocket was enough for now.  
-You should seal it with your Flames.- the Ninth said, and Xanxus came back to him, stopping the man from struggling to turn his wheelchair around. He put a hand on his shoulder and it felt like a bag of fragile bones: -Stop it, old man, don't make a fuss.- he muttered, -You old stupid man.- the Ninth smiled.  
Xanxus sat on the couch again, on the cushion that was still warm from his own body, he put on his Varia Sky Ring and put his Flames Seal on the parchment, then he waited.  
The parchment was a special product for official acts: it could detect an insincere intention, and if Xanxus didn't really mean to make Sawada the Tenth Boss, his Seal would disappear in a few seconds.  
It didn't happen.  
-Well, than you, my son. It took you a while, but I'm happy that you finally accepted Tsunayoshi as the Vongola Boss.  
-He showed some guts.- Xanxus replied, purposely vague. The truth was that the latest events had proved what Xanxus already suspected: that Sawada was much less of a dork than what he looked like. More, that he was well suited to reign, maybe more than Xanxus himself. Nothing he did seemed to come from egoism or thirst for power, while Xanxus just couldn't seem to do without. He stopped to think at Sawada's last decision, the one they had discussed a few days before: he had to admit, even if only with himself, that he would have never been able to take a decision like that. Maybe he would have completely ruined his whole life trying to fix the problem.  
-I wish I gave you more attentions.- Timoteo suddenly said, interrupting Xanxus' stream of thoughts. The man answered with a vague: -Nh?  
-If I had followed you more closely, maybe I would have been able to make myself clearer. My intentions, my weakness... but I couldn't, I succumbed to the lure of my natural sons... you know, they've always been jealous of you. Maybe, somehow they understood that I always thought you were better than them.  
-That's bullshit, old man, you always hated me.  
-Oh, really? Then why didn't I send you and your mother back to the streets?- Xanxus couldn't find an answer, and Timoteo went on: -I've always seen in you an incredible strenght. I hoped I could raise you to understand that it's not the blood, the thing that defines a person, but their value as a human being. But I failed.- Xanxus looked up and saw that a tear had appeared on Timoteo's lower eyelid. He felt oddly terrified by it.  
-I wanted you to be my heir. I wanted to end the Vongola's blood inheritance, because the weight we're carrying with us must be destroyed. We are not our fathers, and we shouldn't inherit the title just to keep things the way they are, knowing that they're wrong. I wanted it all to change, I wanted a better world... but I was weak. Weak and sentimental. This is why I counted on you, because you're always been fierce and not weak at heart.  
-Listen, old man, I...  
-I hope someday you will be able to think about me with affection. And forgive me for being weak.- Timoteo concluded, then he linked his hands as if he was praying, he bowed his head and spoke no more.  
Xanxus stared at him, unable to say a word. Fierce, the Ninth had described him, and yet a part of him somehow longed to feel something. He remembered as a child that he had felt cold seeing that Timoteo seemingly loved his brothers more than him, and when he had found out he wasn't his natural son he thought he had understood why. The picture this news painted was one in which he was just a stray dog, collected by the street so not to make other think you could leave a puppy to starve, nothing more than a later-regretted mistake. But now, the old man was telling him that his brothers went looking for his love: they, who had the full right to it, were afraid that the unworthy stray dog could take it from them. He asked himself whether Timoteo had hinted something to them somehow or if it was the kind of things that children simply know. He couldn't provide himself an answer.  
-What is done is done.- he rudely stated. Then he asked: -What did the doctor say to you?  
-That I most likely won't have a merry Christmas.  
-How much time you're left?  
-Seven, eight months. No more. Probably less.- Xanxus stayed silent for a while, then he said: -So I guess you won't have shit to do in August.  
-Nothing, apart from trying to enjoy my last summer.- Xanxus hesitated. He knew he had stimulated the Ninth's curiosity, and he knew he had decided to do it on purpose, so that he couldn't change his mind. He took the envelope from his pocket and bent forward to put it in Timoteo's hands. -If the Twelfth of August you'll feel good enough to take a plane and go eat free food, you'll be welcome.- Xanxus stopped and watched his wrinkly, deformed fingers opening the envelope. He felt irrationally anxious.  
He tried to tell himself that he didn't give a shit whether the old man approved his spouse or not, yet he couldn't relax until he saw him smiling.  
-It seems like you finally understood, my son.  
-Understood what?- Xanxus asked.  
-That love isn't necessarily in the most obvious place.- Xanxus, in discomfort, shifted on the couch. He crossed his legs, fixed his trousers on his knee and asked: -What do you mean?  
-Love isn't necessarily in a woman's arms... or in the children you generated yourself. Sometimes you love a colleague more... a colleague, or an orphan you took from the street.- Timoteo bitterly smiled at Xanxus.  
Someone knocked, and Coyote came in without waiting for permission: -Teo, I'm sorry, but it's time you take your medicines.  
-Ah. Thank you, Coyote.- Xanxus' eyes drifted between the two of them, but he didn't speak. He hesitated, then he got up and said: -I better go now.  
-Thank you, Xanxus. I hope I'll be able to come.  
-Nh.- Xanxus answered, turning around to go away. Timoteo went on: -And thank you for being the son I always dreamed.- the Boss of the Varia froze.

-Hi everyone! Woah, I'm at the head of the table!- Lambo said.  
-Don't get used to it,- Gokudera replied, looking at the monitor of the computer where Lambo was on videocall, -You're there just because we can all see you.  
-I think it's because I'm pretty.- Lambo replied. Tsuna, from the other head of the table, called: -Children...  
-Sorry, Tsuna nii.- Lambo said. Chrome smiled at him.  
-Tsuna put his elbows on the table and joined his hands. He looked at Gokudera to take courage, then he glanced at all his Guardians. Ryohei was, as usual, fierce and encouraging, Mukuro and Chrome looked calm, Yamamoto was quietly singing and Hibari's face was in the half of the monitor that wasn't occupied by Lambo; behind him, a seashore. Lambo seemed to be sitting on his bed with a bowl of pop-corn.  
-Well, so...- Tsuna began, hesitating, -I thought I could wait to have this conversation, at least enough to have Lambo and Hibari back with us, but... as Gokudera already knows, we were waiting for Xanxus' confirmation on a certain matter, and it came sooner than expected.- Tsuna giggled, embarrassed: -I though he would die before recognizing me as Tenth Vongola Boss, but he signed with his Flames just yesterday.  
-EXTREME!- Ryohei commented, sincerely moved.  
-Shut up, you herbivore.- Hibari called him. The communication was disturbed by the wind, -Sawada, come on, I have things to do.  
-Alright, yeah, so...- Tsuna cleared his throat, -When we ended up in the future, I had a vision of my ancestors while I was training. And I swore to them I would wipe out the Vongola. I'm planning to keep that promise.- Yamamoto and Ryohei jumped in surprise. Tsuna had kept the secret, only telling Gokudera and the bosses of the allied Families because he knew he couldn't expect unconditional support. But even if he always tried to have everyone's approval, this time he didn't want to back up, not even if Giotto himself had appeared in front of him, begging him to change his mind. He shifted on his chair and said: -The heritage of the title with the bloodline isn't always a good idea. Dynasties rot, brothers fight, and the heir by blood isn't necessarily the best one. I won't allow this to happen because of me. So, the Vongola bloodline will end with me.- silence fell.  
-Clever move, Sawada.- Hibari eventually said. Tsuna opened his mouth to say something, but Chrome spoke first: -Boss... forgive me. But I know that Gokudera would want...  
-I already have a son.- Gokudera interrupted her, staring at the pen he had been playing with since the beginning of the meeting.  
-So, it's true...- Chrome said. She had perceived something in the mess of Lambo's mother's thoughts, but she really couldn't imagine Gokudera with someone who wasn't Tsuna, so she had thought that the woman was delirious.  
-It's true.- Gokudera confirmed.  
-YOSH! Extreme, Tako Head spread his genes around! And where's the baby?  
-Here I am!- Lambo waved from the computer, raising a hand. Ryohei put both hands on the table, as if he wanted to be sure he wasn't going to fall. His eyes were empty and lost, like he had just got hit on his head with a baseball bat.  
-Sawada, you can discuss the matter later.- Hibari said, -Move on.  
-Ah, right... Ryohei, we'll explain later, Hibari san doesn't care. Anyway, I signed an arrangement with Enma, Dino, Xanxus, Aria, Byakuran, Naito Longchamps and Olivia Bovino. The Ninth approved everything, and next week we're going to Italy to officially announce this and for the inheritance of the title from Timoteo to me. I will choose my heir with your help and the help of my allied. I want the Vongola to take care of all the injustice we know about, and I want my heir to do it too. I created a web of alliances so that we can check on each other, to be sure that no unnecessary harm will be done ever again. I know that all of this may seem...- Tsuna stopped, at loss for words.  
-Tsuna.- Yamamoto said.  
-Baseball freak, the Tenth is spea...  
-I'm with you till the end. What you decided is wonderful.- Yamamoto went on, ignoring Gokudera. Ryohei boldly nodded, Lambo applauded and Chrome smiled. Mukuro said: -This cannot be called Mafia, Sawada Tsunayoshi. I will be with you.- Hibari nodded, then gestured to someone out of the camera field and closed the communication.

Hibari put the cellphone in his jacket, his hands in his pockets and waited.  
A black limousine was riding the path that lead to the summit of the promontory. It stopped in a largest spot, that an optimist could have called a “parking lot”, and the car door of the driver opened. Hibari smirked when he saw Furio Incognito, but he had decided to trust Mukuro: the illusionist had looked into the man's mind and had discovered that he was really waiting to avenge his best friend, Danilo Cavallone, against his own Family. He saw him walk to the other side of the car and opened the passenger's door; Dino got off the car. In his hands he was holding a thing that clearly was a funerary urn. From the backseat, the Guardians came out of the car, and Romario went to his Boss; he put an arm around his shoulder and they walked to the top of the promontory, where Hibari was waiting for them. Behind them, Skull with another urn and Viola, still on crutches. Michael took a wheelchair from the trunk and Ivan put the Mist Guardian, Melissa, on it. She had been badly hurt at the attack at the Vindice ex prison, nearly two months before, and she had been dismissed only a few days prior.  
The gravel crackled under their feet and under the wheelchair, and the silence was so deafening that even the howling of the wind and the rumble of the waves seemed to have shut up. Dino went to Hibari's side and tried to put on a pale smile; the brunet held his elbow as a greeting, but didn't speak.  
A big iron cross cast its shadow on the small cleavage they were in; Ivan stopped Melissa's wheelchair against its basement, Viola sat beside her and the other Guardians stood nearby. Hibari stepped back, leaving Dino alone on the edge of the promontory, with the two urns before him.  
Dino Cavallone kneeled and made the Sign of the Cross on himself, then he bent his head in prayer and stood still, apparently numb to the heavy wind; his cheeks were wet with tears.  
After a few minutes, he stood up and said: -Papà. Dani. You've been avenged, now you can rest in peace.- his hands were trembling, while he tried to open the urns. Hibari went beside him and caressed the back of his hands: -It's all right.- he said, even if he knew that it wasn't. Dino was granting his dad's last wish, spreading his ashes to the sea, and it was really hard for him to say goodbye to what was left of his mortal remains. Romario took the lid of the urn. Dino hesitated, then he threw Cavallone Nono's ashes to the sea.  
Then, he took the urn which contained his brother's ashes and walked on the path, pouring them on the ground. Danilo had left an informal will that said he wanted his ashes to be used to fertilize a dead ground. He had also made a list of seeds he wanted to make grow, and Dino's Guardian were putting them in the dirt, pushing them in. Hibari caught some sloppy line by Skull, and he was surprised to notice that he was particularly delicate. He heard him saying: -I'm taking you here every year on his birthday, so we'll check the growth. I want him to know that someone is taking care of you.- and he felt a knot in his throat. He quickly stepped forward and got by Dino's side. The blond was looking at the empty urn as if he couldn't understand what was going on.  
He exchanged a glance with Romario, who nodded and took the urn; then, Hibari held Dino by his waist and, without saying a word, he brought him to his own car. They waited in silence for the limousine carrying his Guardian to go away, then Dino burst into tears. Hibari held him in his arms and waited for him to calm down.


	25. Clouds Ahead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Xanxus is troubled.  
> Hibari is planning an event.  
> Dino is unhappy.  
> Fran and Lambo have a chat, and that's honestly the only sane thing that's gonna happen today.

-Are you OK?- Squalo asked. That question was in his mind since Xanxus had come back from his meeting with the Ninth. They hadn't spoken about it, just a vague “it's done” and the request to spread the message that every rumour about Timoteo's illness was to be debunked.  
Then, as if it was nothing, Xanxus had announced that, if the Ninth wasn't too tired, he would have attended their wedding. Since then, he had been silent.  
Maybe, the most terrifying thing was the passion that he put into sex: Squalo didn't miss the rude, loveless screws they had in their first times, but he was somehow scared by the affection he felt under Xanxus' grip and in his warm kisses.  
Meanwhile, Xanxus still wasn't answering his question: -VOI! I asked you if...  
-I heard you.- Xanxus interrupted him. He was laying on the couch, his legs spread, wearing the same clothes he had been wearing for two days straight, according to his smell and to Lussuria, who had told Squalo as soon as he had come back from the Cavallone's hospital, where he had made a lot of exams for his heart. Lussuria had also told him that Xanxus had asked him to prepare one of his Sun Flames special meals: they were made so that weak people could eat without worries, and Timoteo would be able to eat without being afraid that the food could cause him stomach aches.  
And this was even more disturbing.  
-I don't know what to answer.- Xanxus eventually said, leaning forward to the coffee table; he took a glass, half filled with whiskey, and drank a sip. To be honest, another unsettling thing was that the drink had been there long enough for the ice cubes to melt: Xanxus only drank it on the rocks. Squalo sat in front of him on the coffee table.  
-Do you mind telling me what is possessing you, or do I have to deal with the idea that I'm about to marry a goddamn deaf-mute?  
-The fuck do I have to tell you, Squalo?- Xanxus blurted, -In the range of a week you fucking died in my arms and the old man is dying too. Do you want me to say that I'm fine? Alright, then, I'm fine, I'm great, now can you please stop pissing me off?  
-Xanxus...- Squalo caught the Boss while he was trying to get up and hugged him. Xanxus resisted for a while, then he sat down again and let his head rest on Squalo's shoulder, without reciprocating the hug. Squalo understood that he needed the contact and didn't back up.

-Yes, Hibari san.- Tsuna answered his phone, a bit puzzled. He couldn't imagine what could be so urgent that couldn't wait three days: soon the Vongola were to come back to Italy for the official Inheritance Ceremony, where Timoteo would definitively leave his place to Tsuna, going back to his private life for the time he had left.  
-Sawada, I need you all to come a bit earlier.- Hibari answered, without wasting time with other words. Tsuna looked at Gokudera, lying at his side with a book in his hands, and said: -Ah... yes, I don't think it's a problem if we come there earlier.- he said, to explain his husband the matter. Gokudera nodded in confirm and put down the book. He looked vaguely curious.  
-I need you to be in Ostia by Thursday morning.  
-In Ostia by Thursday morning, Hayato, what do you...  
-We can do it.- Gokudera said, getting up. Without making any noise, he mouthed: -Ask him why!- and Tsuna nodded while he took the tablet to change their flight.  
-We will be there. May I ask you why?  
-I'm getting married.- Tsuna fell from the bed with a thud, but hid his shock: -Wonderful! Fantastic! And who is... no, I'm sorry, obviously I know who's going to be your husband, but it's wonderful! Uhm... did I say it's fantastic?  
-See you on Thursday. And not a word with Cavallone.- Hibari cut short, then he hung up.  
-So? Good news, I guess.- Gokudera said, looking down from the bed. Tsuna said: -He's getting married. Hibari “kamikorossu” Kyoya is getting married.  
-Shit, is that the Armageddon?

-Enma, we have to leave earlier for Italy.- Adelheid said, entering his Boss and lover's room with her usual dominator's pace. Enma, taken by surprise, almost answered “yes, my lady”, as if it was a sex play. He pulled the blankets under his chin and said: -Alright, we'll set it up. Why?  
-Hibari san asked me to be his wedding witness.  
-HIBARI IS GETTING MARRIED?!- Enma blurted, then he leaned back: Adelheid was getting closer. The woman sat on his bed and Enma felt a sting of sexual arousal.  
-Yes. Tomorrow I'll book the flight. Now...  
-Adel,I'm in love with you!- Enma abruptly said. She stopped, already bent over him: -What?  
-I love you.- Enma squeaked. He had been holding it back for ages, but if Dino had managed to put a ring on Hibari's finger he could, at least, say those few words.  
-I know it, why are you telling me?- Adelheid replied, puzzled.  
-Well, I... I never told you and I... I mean, all of this, it's not just sex to me. Of course, if to you it's only that we can go on, it doesn't matter, it's not that... I mean, a bit is better than nothing and I swear that...  
-You're a disaster, Kozato Enma. A real disaster.- Adelheid said, shaking her head, then she lied on the bed beside him: -What did you think, that I went to bed with you for all these years just for fun? Do you really think so bad of me?- Enma gasped.  
-I didn't...  
-Don't mention it. I think I'll go to bed early, tonight.  
-I didn't dare to hope that.- Enma finished, and she stopped. -Anyway, if you want to sleep, in my bed there's room for both of us.

-Xanxus put his hands on Squalo's hips, trying not to remember that moment where he had found himself hugging the Ninth, without even knowing how it had happened.  
He was about to surrender, his mask of rudeness was falling down like a spider web under heavy rain, and Xanxus was afraid that soon everyone would see him like the worthless floppy balls he was.  
-I think it's better we cancel the wedding.- he said. He had to protect at least that part of his public image. Squalo pushed him away and got up, turning his back to him.  
-Alright. I never really believed it could happen, anyway.  
-Where the fuck are you going?- Xanxus asked, seeing that Squalo wasn't heading towards the bed they had been sharing the previous nights.  
-I'm going to fuck off.- Squalo answered. Xanxus jumped and grabbed his wrist, but Squalo escaped.  
-Where the fuck are you going?- Xanxus repeated, in a low roar. The swordsman looked at him, his eyes shiny and swollen, and blurted: -VOI! First you ask me to marry you, you organize everything, you fucking invite your father, then you dump me like this? Fuck you if you think you can screw me after tearing me to pieces!  
-Fuck you, you dared to die in my fucking arms!  
-Oh, I beg your fucking pardon! Next time I'll check your fucking agenda to coordinate with your business!  
-Next time my balls, scum! If you dare to die before me I swear I'll... I'll...- Xanxus grabbed Squalo, pulled him close and kissed him with vehemently.  
-Don't leave me...- he said, hating the trembling he could hear in his own voice, -Don't you dare leave me.  
-Don't you dare cancel that fucking wedding and I won't.- Squalo replied, then he kissed him.  
Xanxus quickly undressed him, tearing fabric and buttons, while his clothes too were being torn by the swordsman's hunger; he pushed him towards the bed, but Squalo pulled him to the restroom and shoved him in the shower.  
The first spray of water, still chilly, killed Xanxus' erection. He blurted: -The fuck, you idiot!  
-VOI! You haven't taken a shower for days, you stink like you're dead!- Squalo entered the shower and closed its doors. The water made his hair stick to his body, and even if it was still cold something reacted in Xanxus. When Squalo took a sponge and started to brush his body with it, Xanxus was fully erected and one step far from shoving him against the wall and fucking the soul out of him.  
-Ah...- Xanxus exhaled when the sponge brushed his testicles. Squalo wasn't allowing a tiny bit of gentleness, and the friction was almost painful, but not less arousing. Xanxus looked down; his penis, moved by Squalo's hand, sometimes brushed against the swordsman's. Panic caught him.  
His body, bigger and covered in scars, seemed an abomination if confronted to Squalo's, slender, muscular and as white as snow, and he had dared to try to get it away from himself. His body and, of course, the soul that was in it. That man that had always spoken to him with his head held high, without letting Xanxus step on him, but rather allowing him to freak out once in a while, almost like a kind parent allows their son to run around in the amusement park so that they can let out the exceeding energy. That man that, Xanxus was sure of this, was about to cry a moment before, when the perspective of the wedding being cancelled had hit him out of the blue. Superbi Squalo, God knows why, loved him, and Xanxus loved him back, but he was so pathetic that he couldn't show him and too scared to show the world.  
Xanxus kneeled in front of Squalo and looked up: the swordsman was astonished and still, and more gorgeous than ever, with his wet hair brushing his skin. Xanxus said: -You made a really bad deal, getting involved with me.- Squalo's stare sweetened.  
-VOI! I can't pretend I don't love you, you dork.- Xanxus opened his mouth and took in Squalo's virility; the swordsman let out a weak noise of surprise.

Dino's cellphone ringed at four in the afternoon. The blond made a gesture to Romario, who was helping him fix his agenda, and answered: -Hey la! How's the honeymoon?  
-Fuck you, Dino, we're not on honeymoon.- Viola answered. Dino was sure she was blushing: -Just keep yourself free on Thursday and don't make a fuss. Come on, what's the matter?  
-Listen, you're the gazillionth person I'm telling, I promised Squalo that I would be taking him to the tailor on Thursday. You know that if he goes alone...  
-He makes the tailors go extinct, I know. But can't you make it another day? Come on...  
-Listen. I don't know what possessed Kyoya, if he called you as well, but...  
-He didn't call me, he called Skull, who is now hiding in a locker room and doesn't want to come out ever again.  
-...anyway. Tell Kyoya that if he asks me kindly I'll find a way to free myself.  
-Dino, are you throwing a tantrum? You're thirty six years o...- Dino hung up.  
-Boss, how long are you going to pretend you won't be there?- Romario asked, -Whatever it is, it is clear by now that Hibari cares about this, isn't it?- Dino leaned back on his chair and didn't speak for a long time.

-Hold my hand!- Skull yelled. Viola rolled her eyes. To hell with Dino and his doctors, to hell with the sea that would help her to heal faster, to hell with Capri that was so damn beautiful in the spring and to hell with Skull as well. She held out her hand.  
-Now call him. He can't kill you via phone.  
-No, but he can kill me on Thursday.- Skull answered, grabbing Viola's hand.  
-He won't. I promise to stick around you and to call Lambo and Tsuna too, so he won't come closer to avoid the crowd.  
-Would you? Really?- Skull asked. Viola didn't answer and Skull took the phone. He composed Hibari's number and put it on loudspeak, then he grasped to Viola's hand with both of his.  
-What?- Hibari asked. Skull took a deep breath and said: -Dino said that he will keep himself free if you ask him kindly.  
-Nh.  
-Maybe buy him some flowers, I don't know, a bottle of wine, then you go to him and say something like “Please, Dino, it's so important to me...” they always fall for that kind of bullshit.- Viola glanced at him.  
-Ok.- Hibari hung up without a thank you and Viola asked: -What did you mean, “they always fall for that kind of bullshit”?  
-Shit...  
-Make amends for it, Stuntman Mike.- Skull bent over her and Viola said: -The hell did you understand? Give me a ride, I need a new dress.- Skull cursed, then his mouth was closed by Viola's.

Hibari entered Dino's office. Romario had just gone away, and the blond was sitting in a sofa.  
-You don't have to insist, Kyoya,- Dino said, -I have already cleared myself from anything, I will be free.  
-Fuck Skull.- Hibari muttered, then he shoved wine and flowers in Dino's laps. He sat on the couch next to the sofa and asked: -What's wrong with you?  
-I don't know, Kyoya. Now that I avenged Dad and Dani... I don't know what to do with myself.- a tear fell down Dino's cheek and fell on a rose.  
-I can understand this.- Hibari said, crossing his legs, -When Fon told me the people who had killed my parents were dead, I felt... empty.- silence fell.  
-How did you solve it?  
-This dude with a turtle and a whip appeared. It took him a while, but he made me understand that the world is full of things to do.  
-Kyoya...- Dino held out a hand and Hibari took it, -I don't want you to feel unimportant, but... it was different, you were dealing with something new, of course being with you makes me feel good, but my head... it goes by itself.  
-So, you'd try something new?- Hibari asked.  
-If you put it like this, it seems like I'm leaving you, and I'm not. But...  
-What about trying to be a good husband?- Dino abruptly shut up, his head light, feeling like he was about to faint.  
-Is... is that what you wanted to do on Thursday? Ask me to marry you?  
-No, it's not. I booked the ceremony for Thursday. It was meant to be a surprise, but... marry me, Dino.  
-Do you promise you won't make it easy?  
-Did I ever?-Dino smiled openly, put the flowers and the wine on the coffee table and threw himself in Hibari's arms.

-Hi.- Fran said, entering Lambo's bedroom.  
-Hey la. How are you?  
-Fine, I think, but I can't do anything. I don't know what Squalo is doing, but for the time being, to keep his heart at pace is like trying to hold an eel with bare hands. He had tachycardia three times in ten minutes. Do you want to chat a bit?  
-I'd gladly help you,- Lambo said, getting up from his bed, -But the only thing I can think of is a bit challenging.  
-That's OK, if you want to talk about it. It's just that I can't avoid Bel's knives while Squalo is on a rollercoaster.- Fran sat on Lambo's bed and looked at him, waiting for him to start speaking. To be honest, he was starting to be really worried for his lack of communication, and he was glad that Lambo had finally decided to open up about the Gokudera affair.  
-You know, when I was told it, I think I cursed all the deities I know, and some deities that I don't know as well.- Lambo began, after taking a deep breath.  
-Well, if you said that Zeus is a swine, that's not cursing. It's just stating a fact.- Lambo smiled.  
-Yeah... Lussuria is a beginner. Anyway...- Lambo clutched his hands, then said: -I mean, it's not that bad, right? I could have been born after something bad, or I could have been the son of an idiot... or the son of someone that didn't want to hear about me.- Fran nodded. As much as Gokudera seemed to have the gift of managing to be found annoying by almost everyone except Tsuna, at least he was a good man, clever and loyal. And he had shown he was more than willing to treat Lambo as his son, now that he knew he was such.  
-I...- Lambo went on, -Well, I still don't know how to take this thing, but... I think I'll eventually accept it. I mean, he's gotten it worse, he's been trying to explain this thing to Ryohei for two days and he still can't get it!- Fran laughed, he couldn't avoid it.  
-How do you think it will go?- he asked after a while. Lambo shuddered: -No idea. Probably as usual, we have known each other for too long to change for real. He'll be an even bigger pain in the ass, I'll play the rebel just to annoy him...  
-It doesn't sound so bad.- Fran said.  
-No, it's just...- Lambo hesitated, then said: -When I was little, he couldn't stand me. Everyone said that it's because when you're fifteen you don't want to have children around, but...  
-But it didn't remain like that, Lambo, that's the point.- Fran said, -He grew up, you grew up, you pinprick each other but you also love each other, it's for everyone to see!  
-I guess it's just something I have to get used to.- Lambo muttered, -To this day, that's the only thing left to bother me.  
-As soon as Squalo is done with whatever he's doing, I think I can help you.- Fran said. Lambo bent his head, curious. -Yes, I mean, Shishou made it for me when I couldn't remember the future with evil Byakuran, I think I can help you see your memories.  
-What for?- Lambo asked, a bit anxious.  
-Many times, when we're little, we don't understand that grown-ups do some things for our sake. For example, I hated that Squalo didn't allow me to look at swallows' nests. But thinking back, it was because I was leaning over the balcony to do it. And Shishou never left me alone with fruit, but one day I found out that if you eat eight apples in an hour you get a really bad stomach ache.- Fran stopped, waiting for an answer.  
Lambo stayed silent for so long that, when Squalo got tachycardia again, Fran was able to calm him down without even struggling. He wondered whether it was necessary to see into his head to understand what was going on, then Lambo asked: -What if there's nothing?  
-Then, there's me. And I have all the time you can need.

Ghosty's little notes:  
Stuntman Mike is a character from the movie Death Proof. He's basically an old, annoying, twisted Skull. Plus, I have another reason to call him “Mike”.  
The cursing thing: in Italy, many people insult God to show frustration. They usually compare him to a swine, that's why Fran says that thing about Zeus being a swine. I don't like this way of cursing (I very much prefer to call out genitalia), but it's really common, so I put it in.  
As usual, let me know what you think about this, your comments really make me happy!  
XOXO


	26. Herd

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Squalo and Xanxus make an una tantum statement.  
> Belphegor loses it.  
> Skull never had it in the first place.  
> Lambo takes a walk down Memory Road and has something to tell to Gokudera.

Belphegor entered Lambo's bedroom without knocking and complained: -So, is Squalo done or not? The Prince is bored!  
-I think he's close.- Lambo answered from his desk, a hand holding his head up and the other scrolling on his cellphone's screen, -Or, at least, Squalo is about to die for sure and you can take Fran back.  
-Balls.- Belphegor commented, then he sat on the desk and stared at Fran, who was in the middle of the room, surrounded by a purple mist, barely lifted from the floor, focused. -What are you looking at?- Belphegor asked, leaning to the wall.  
-Facebook. But today it's really boring.- Fran let out a moan of pain, his face contracted into an expression of extreme fatigue and Belphegor whispered: -I'm waking him up.  
-I don't know if you should...- Lambo replied, turning his chair around, -What if he goes crazy? Or what if Squalo dies?  
-I'm calling Mammon.- Belphegor decided, then Fran fell to the floor, unconscious.

Squalo and Xanxus were at their sixth round of sex.  
It was starting to feel a bit painful for both, but Xanxus couldn't bring himself to a stop and Squalo was so high that he didn't remember he could ask for a break.  
Xanxus looked at him. He was so handsome, his hair by now dry and unkept on the red blankets, his face a mask of pleasure, his breath coming out of his mouth in mute huffs, his lips swollen by the kisses.  
His right hand was holding the covers so hard that the fabric was about to rip, his left arm was anchored to one of the poles keeping up the bed's curtains. Suddenly, Squalo's body arched, his legs held Xanxus' waist and his anus stretched around his virility. From Squalo's, instead, came a tiny blurt of sperm. His voice let out an almost desperate lament: -VOI, I love you, Xanxus!- The Varia's Boss almost drowned in his own sensations. He ejaculated without any warning, while his chest painfully throbbed and his eyes seemed to feel swollen and somehow full.  
-Squalo...- he whispered, astonished. Of course, that word had been between the two of them, more often if it was the swordsman talking, and of course, they had decided to get married so it was pretty clear that they were something more than mere colleagues with benefits, but never before Squalo had explicitly told him those three words one after another. With his iconic “voi” at the beginning, no less, so to make it even more clear that it was him, Superbi Squalo, who was declaring his love to Xanxus Vongola.  
Xanxus caressed his hips, still astonished, still asking himself why all of a sudden he didn't give a fuck of people thinking he was weak because he was going to marry a man; Squalo's chest went up and down quickly, and a vein on his neck was pumping blood at a high pace. His grey eyes barely opened, and his lips curved in a half smile: -You don't have to repl...  
-I love you too, Squalo.- silence fell. It was supposed to be one of the embarrassing ones, but it wasn't. More, Xanxus felt like everything was now perfectly fitting, he understood he was truly serene and at peace with himself, even if for just a few moments. He took it out of Squalo with caution, accepted his arms around the neck and stood there listening to his crazy heartbeat. Then, Squalo laughed and asked: -I will never hear you saying this again, am I right?  
-Not if I can help it.- Xanxus muttered, -So you better keep that in your mind.  
-VOI, as if I could forget it.- Squalo rolled on one side and Xanxus followed his movement, letting the swordsman cocoon in his arms. He closed his eyes and put his lips on his sweaty forehead, and he was just about to fall asleep when the door exploded.  
Alarmed, they bot jumped out of the bed; Xanxus grabbed his guns and Squalo took out his sword.  
The door, or what was left of it, was surrounded by a crimson mist from which Belphegor came out, his hands full of knives and a murder glimpse in his eyes.  
-Do you two want to stop?- he asked, in a voice so dark and menacing that Xanxus wondered whether it had been a good idea to allow him to follow his mental illnesses instead of locking him into a mental asylum. Behind him, someone coughed, and Lambo's voice said: -Belphegor, calm down, please.  
-The hell do you want, scum?- Xanxus asked, aiming at him with both guns.  
-Whatever you're doing, stop it, now. Froggy can't take it anymore.  
-VOI, shit.- Squalo said, lowering his sword, -I forgot.- Xanxus tried to put his guns in their holsters, but he realized he wasn't wearing them. He wasn't wearing underpants as well, to be honest.  
-We're done, calm your shit.- he said, throwing the guns on the bed without securing them. A bullet was shot and opened another hole on the wall.  
-How is he, now?- Squalo asked, sheathing his sword.  
-HE ALMOST DIED, YOU PIECE OF...  
-He's better now.- Lambo interrupted him, coming in; he waved away the remaining fog, focused the scene and blushed: -Woops!  
-As if you never saw a dick in your life.- Xanxus commented, sitting on the bed to get dressed. Lambo blabbered something.  
-AT LEAST SAY YOU'RE SORRY!- Belphegor yelled, then he threw a handful of knives. Without even flinching, Squalo grabbed the sword and sent them away. Then he said: -Alright, now I'll go to him and say I'm sorry, OK? You...  
-THIS MUSTN'T HAPPEN AGAIN!- Belphegor screamed.  
-Listen, you piece of idiot, don't act like you never fucked up anything.- Xanxus answered. He looked around, searching for his shirt, but it was nowhere to be seen. He got close to Lambo, who was staring at the wall as if there was an interesting TV program on it and he held out a hand to grab a jacket from the hanger in front of the boy. He put it in, caught an intense smell of Sauvage, noticed the pink edges and quickly took it off, wondering what was one of Lussuria's jackets in his room.  
-Here, brat.- he said, throwing it on Lambo's head, -Take this to Lussuria and ask him what the hell was it doing here. And take the Prince away, so he can have a chamomile tea.  
-Come on, Bel, let's go.- Lambo said, happy to have the opportunity to leave that awkward situation. Belphegor showed his teeth in a growl but followed him without opposing any kind of resistance.  
Xanxus looked at the remaining of the door and said: -This was crooked anyway.- he hesitated, while Squalo looked into the mirror, contemplating with sadness the state of his hair. At the end, he added: -Well, it seems I've got an excuse not to repeat that thing. I care about my subordinates.- Squalo turned to face him. His hair were a total mess, they didn't even wave in that sensual movement they used to make: -VOI! You really are...  
-What?- Xanxus asked, when he noticed that Squalo didn't seem to be willing to go on. Squalo shook his head and said: -Not gonna tell you. You're too close to your guns.- Xanxus smirked.  
-What's the fucking time?- he asked then. Squalo took his phone and answered: -A quarter to six. Congratulations, we fucked for almost eight hours.- Xanxus allowed himself to take the compliment. To be one that was drearily getting close to his forties, that was a pretty good performance.  
-VOOOIII!- Squalo blurted, still with the phone in his hand, -Haneuma is getting married!  
-Look at all the fucks I don't gi... wait, with the tonfa psycho?  
-VOI! Who else?- Squalo wrote something, then said: -We're both invited, it's on Thursday.  
-Do I really have to come?- Xanxus asked. Squalo rolled his eyes and said: -No, you would have been my “Plus One”. You can stay home.  
-Oh, good. Have fun, then.- Squalo shook his head, finished to write the message for Dino and said: -I'm going to see how's the brat.- Xanxus nodded and caught him in the middle of the room. He took his chin with his fingers, lifted his face and said: -Look around and tell everything to Lussuria. I want our wedding to be at least ten times more beautiful.  
-VOI! You're a...- Xanxus interrupted him with a kiss.

The Guardians of the Cavallone Family woke up at the sound of the Tardis, on Thursday's early morning. A long litany of bad words and a concert of screeching bones accompanied the soundtrack from Doctor Who, that Dino had settled as his alarm tone.  
-I almost believed the Tardis was here...- Skull muttered, trying to set himself free from the couch's pillow he had used as a blanket. They had all fallen asleep in Dino's office, after spending long hours trying to help him prepare his wedding: the dress, sober or Kyoya would get nervous, catering, quick and competent or Kyoya would get mad, guests, a few or Kyoya would... long story short, they had spent the whole Wednesday trying to understand how to walk on the eggs without breaking the shells.  
Ivan asked: -Wasn't Doctor Who in Harry Potter?  
-David Tennant, Tenth Doctor, he appears in the Goblet of Fire in the role of Barty Crouch jr.- Viola answered. Her eyes were still closed, but her nerdy streak was already strong.  
-It's interesting to notice,- Melissa added, her too with her eyes still closed, -That the first episode featuring the Tenth Doctor is titled “The Parting of the Ways”, same title as the chapter in Harry Potter where they reveal that Mad Eye Moody is really Barty Crouch jr.  
-Was that a spoiler?- Michael asked.  
-Spoooiiileeer...- Melissa and Viola chanted, imitating the character of River Song, then they giggled. Ivan sat on the floor and said: -At least they're not mocking me, this time.  
-Where's the Boss?- Romario asked. Everyone went silent, then a voice came from the shower: -“Oh, I just can't wait to be kiiing!”- Skull set himself free from Viola, who had hugged him during her sleep looking for some human warmth. He struggled to come out of the uneven bunch of bodies and asked: -Anyone wants some pancaked?  
-Vi, I can understand you now.- Melissa muttered.  
-Skull, will you marry me?- Michael asked. Skull giggled: -I'm afraid I'm already booked. Maybe next life!  
-Ouch.- Viola said, when Ivan poked her with his foot. Dino came out of the shower, wearing a terrible bathrobe decorated with little birds that looked a lot like Hibird and announced: -“Oh, I just caaan't waaait! To be kiiing!”  
-Pancakes for everyone!- Skull declared, then he ran away before someone could ask him to sing along. Eternal child, alright, but singing before breakfast made him sick. On the way to the kitchen, he thought about how much his life had changed in the last weeks: he had gone from being a renegade who lived in the woods to being a Guardian for one of the most powerful Families in the Mafia, he had a girlfriend, he was appreciated, he had a place to live in, Oodako was by his side again and everything seemed to be so perfect that he often woke up at night wondering where the rub was.  
He beat a ton of eggs, poured in a lot of blueberries and started to make a mountain of pancakes for everyone. While he was pouring the first spoon of mix in the hot pan, he asked himself what was wrong with him, why he couldn't manage to be happy even when things were going great. Worse, the more things went well the more he felt nervous, alert, ready to take another blow, terrified at the idea that he wasn't able to take it anymore.  
He moved the pan with expert gestures to spread the mix, then a voice said: -Hey.  
-Dino. Hi. No one's allergic to blueberries, I hope.- Skull said.  
-Nope. Being able to eat blueberries is one of the basics to be in the Cavallone Family.- Dino giggled, measuring the coffee to pour into the coffee machine.  
-Nervous?- Skull asked, trying not to be antisocial.  
-You bet it.- Dino answered with a huge smile, then he said: -Anyway, remember that I'm about to marry a Cloud myself, there's no need to find something to talk about if you don't want to.- Skull stayed silent for a while, going on making pancakes; from the mansion, came the noises of the other Guardians getting ready for breakfast: the sound of a shower, some distant chatting, a laughter. Suddenly, Skull said: -It's that I keep asking myself where's the bummer.- Dino didn't answer right away, and Skull opened his mouth to explain, but it wasn't necessary. Dino put a hand on his shoulder and he confessed: -Yeah, I keep wondering the same thing all over. Do you think we can get a discount if we go to therapy together?  
-Oh, well, we could try!- Skull replied, relieved. Dino, getting serious, went on: -Jokes apart. I thing that we'll eventually get used to a quiet life. It just takes time.- Skull made a tentative smile, then Viola appeared behind him. She smelled the pancake and said: -Dino, if you're paying Skull to be so perfect... please don't stop.- Skull blushed. From the kitchen table, Ivan pretended to puke in his hoodie and Michael laughed. Melissa defended Viola: -Oh, come on, she has to be nice sometimes to have nice things, doesn't she?  
-You really know me, Mel!- Viola said, but her caress on Skull's hip didn't go unnoticed, -Later I'll pay you for saving my pride.- Ivan and Michael laughed, and Dino elbowed Skull: -I think we can definitively get a family account with her too! Another couple of traumatized people and we could win a set of plates!- Skull smirked, let the last pancake slip on the trail and put the pan in the sink. Dino said loudly: -Anyway, Skull, if you miss the tough life I can give you the shittiest missions...  
-I'm the great Skull, no mission is too shitty for me!  
-...said the one who almost cried when I asked him to change the dress I was trying for the third time...- Viola commented. Skull sat beside her, joining his colleagues' laughters, and for a brief, splendid moment he felt truly happy.

-Do you still want to do it?- Fran asked out of the blue, entering Lambo's room.  
-What?!- the other asked, puzzled.  
-To look back on your past.- Fran explained. After twelve hours of sleep, during which he didn't wake up once, not even when Belphegor had drawn a frog on his shoulderbone with his knife, he looked fresh and relaxed. He had told Lambo that he had looked in Squalo's mind: that last, tremendous attack of tachycardia that had almost killed him was due to the fact that Xanxus had declared himself. It was a very important secret, so the whole base already knew, obviously. The only thing that Lambo had kept for himself was that, when he had abruptly hugged Squalo, the swordsman had reciprocated the hold, even if only for a few seconds.  
-Are you feeling good enough?- Lambo asked.  
-Yes.- Fran answered, -Come on, sit down, you'll finish packing up later.- Lambo moved some stuff from the carpet, and he and Fran sat on it, with their legs crossed, one in front of the other.  
They took each other's hand, then Fran took a deep breath and focused. A ripe stream of memories invaded Lambo's mind; the sensation was so intense to be almost physical, and he had to focus on the sensation of Fran's hands in his to remember that he wasn't a foot tall anymore. He slid down his childhood, saw again every single interaction he had had with Gokudera, memories he didn't know he still had, each one of them crystal clear and detailed, as if they were stills from a movie directed by some really precise person.  
He seemed to have spent ages in the past, but when he finally lost the last memories, leaving him with the feeling of Gokudera hugging him, Lambo found out that the sun was still in the same position. A quick glance to the clock confirmed him that only a few minutes had passed.  
-Did you find what you were looking for?- Fran asked. His green eyes were shiny and filled with a sincere worry. He had had no way to look at Lambo's memories in advance, and in that moment he was so focused on keeping the channel open that he hadn't even taken a look.  
-Yes, I did.- Lambo answered. His eyes filled up with tears and a trace of his old weakness emerged back again. He said: -Ga...ma...nnn...- and burst into tears like a little child.  
Fran hugged him tight and patiently waited for it to be over.

Squalo got out of the black car, followed by Lambo. They were both wearing suits.  
On the entrance of the old monastery that was now used for civil ceremonies, Skull was waiting for them. -Hello! Squalo, second door on the left, Dino wants to see you. Lambo, you can go to the right, towards the cloister.- Squalo nodded and disappeared behind a door. A not-so-manly screech from Dino greeted him, and he replied with a mannish: -VOOOIII!  
-What a couple...- Skull muttered, then he noticed that Lambo hadn't gone to the cloister. He looked at him, an eyebrow curved into a question mark.  
-So. Skull. You and Mum? Everything alright?  
-Yeah, everything is good. What about you?  
-Oh, you know. Same shit, different day. Are they all there? Gokudera too?  
-Gokudera is in the backyard, he's smoking a cigarette.- Skull answered. Lambo nodded, shifted feet, indecisive, then asked: -How do I get there?  
-Straight over there.- Skull said, pointing at the corridor behind him. Lambo nodded, at loss for words, and followed his directions. He pushed a fire door and leaned it back to the rock that wasn't allowing its closing, then he looked around. Gokudera already look nervous, and he was smoking with mechanical, tense gestures. Lambo got close to him and gave him a candy.  
-What the...  
-If you go back there and you smell of smoke, Hibari san will rape you with his tonfas.- Gokudera took the candy, a bit puzzled, and said: -Thank you...  
-May I...- Lambo began, then he cleared his throat, -May I tell you one thing?- Gokudera put out the cigarette in an ashtray, threw the candy in his mouth and answered: -Of course, tell me.- Lambo hesitated. Then, as fast as he could, so not to give himself any time to rethink it, he threw himself in his arms, hugged him tight and said: -I love you, dad!

A note from Xanxus:  
"If you scum dare to tell anyone what I said to Squalo, I'll fire you another asshole. Anyway, that shit never happened."  
Everyone, quick, let's pretend we believe him!

Anyway, I know this is scraping the limit for Xanxus, but he suffered a few big blows. He just needed a let out and, as he promised, he's never gonna say such sloppy thing again.  
Tell me your opinion, kudos and comments are always a joy!  
XOXO


	27. Clouds and Clear Skies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skull is frightened.  
> Gokudera finds out a scary truth.  
> Dino and Squalo have a chat.  
> And yes, there is a marriage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You beautiful people, thank you all for your support!  
> I hope you'll like this chapter as well, kudos and comments are always welcome!  
> XOXO

-I think I fucked up.- Skull muttered, looking at the door that led to the backyard, behind which Lambo had disappeared. Viola had told him the whole story, so he knew that the boy probably wasn't dealing very well with the fact of being Gokudera's son, and yet Skull hadn't done anything to prevent their meeting.  
He glanced towards the narrow road that led to the monastery; no one else had to come, so if he had run away right now...  
-Hey, Skull.- Viola called, making him jump and hesitate. His instinct told him to run as fast as he could: it wasn't easy to set himself free from the fear of being beaten for the smallest mistake, -Is everything alright? Haven't Squalo and Lambo arrived yet?  
-Oh, well...- Skull moved aside, managing to put himself between her and his way out. Viola got serious and asked: -What?  
-They... they arrived, but...- Skull stepped back and Viola's hand gripped his arm. Now, to run away he would have had to get rid of her first. He opened his mouth and confessed, hating the trembling of his own voice: -Squalo is talking to Dino. Lambo... he asked me where Gokudera was and I told him.- quite surprisingly, Viola's face looked relieved.  
-Shit, Skull, I thought something bad had happened!- Viola let go of his arm and leaned against the wall beside him, just out of the door, and she lit a cigarette.  
-Well, but... nothing.- Skull said, trying to evaluate whether he would be able to reach his motorbike, jump on it and go away before she could react.  
-No, tell me. What's up?- Viola replied. She didn't seem to be about to accuse him, so Skull confessed: -Well, what if they argue? You told me...  
-Stop looking at your bike. If you try to run away, I swear I'll catch you and beat you.  
-Ah.- Viola put a hand on Skull's cheek and asked: -What's that? You... you don't like how things are?  
-Viola, if they kill each other at my boss' wedding it will be my fault!  
-First of all, it may not look like that, but Gokudera has a pretty nice brain. Second, it won't be your fault, you don't have the authority to deny to Lambo his right to meet people. He's a big boy, he can do what he wants.- Skull was silent for a while, so long that Viola had the time to smoke her whole cigarette. -Well, I'm coming back in.- the woman said, then she hesitated. Turning her back to him, she added: -Please, don't leave.- and she started to walk.  
-Viola!- Skull called, and the woman stopped. He reached her and told in her ear: -Those scars you saw on my back... whipping. Each time I made a mistake, when I was a child, I got whipped. That's why I'm afraid to do something wrong and I think of running away whenever it happens.- Viola didn't answer, but she turned around and hugged him. Her touch felt like home.  
-When did you become so smart?- Gokudera yelled, somewhere near.  
-Must be my genes waking up.- Lambo answered.

-VOI, Dino, if you let me go you make me a goddamn favour!- Squalo said. Dino had been hanging from his neck for five minutes now, like a grotesque necklace.  
-Sorry. Sorry, it's that... waaah!- Dino let go of him and covered his face with the now free hands. Squalo looked at him walking back and forth and smiled.  
-Listen.- Dino eventually said, after the help of a sip of wine that made him gain back some composure, -I've asked you to come here because I have to tell you one thing and to ask you another.  
-Alright, then, shoot.- Squalo said. Dino heavily sat on a plastic chair, heavily sighed and announced: -I can't ask you to be my best man.- Squalo raised an eyebrow.  
-VOI, was the thing even considered?- he asked.  
-Well, you're my oldest friend, I thought you may have at least expected it, so...  
-Haneuma. First of all, chug another glass of wine.- Dino obeyed, then stared at Squalo who was kneeling in front of him: -I wasn't expecting you to ask me to be your best man. You're my best friend, and maybe the only one, but you have bunches. Let me guess, Romario and Sawada?  
-Ah, well, yes, it's them.  
-I could have bet it. VOI!- Squalo got up and looked outside the window, -Anyway, now that we talk about it, I'm deeply offended. And I'll have you make up for your sins by asking you to be my best man at my wedding.  
-What?! Really?!- Dino jumped up and took Squalo by his shoulders.  
-VOI! No, not really, I have already booked a prostitute! Of course, you idiot, didn't I just told you that you're my best friend? Will you do it?  
-One condition.- Dino answered. He sat on the window sill and crossed his arms and ankles, faking to be nonchalant. There had been a bond so profound, between him and Squalo, that it was impressive how they could manage to be friends. And with no other purpose, no less. They had been together, and they had broken up for good after Squalo's defeat against Yamamoto during the Battle for the Vongola Rings. When Dino had said goodbye, after making love with him one last time, he had expected to see him disappear from his life, he had expected to suffer and miss him and feel even worse if they were forced to meet for work. Instead, Squalo had naturally become a trusted friend.  
-VOI! Do you need pincers to tell me this condition or what?- Squalo asked, elbowing him.  
-I'm sorry, I was thinking about how much you're important to me.  
-Do you have to start with diabetic stuff? Because if that's the case, I'll...  
-Will you led me to the altar?- Dino interrupted him. Squalo, and that was a unique occurrence, didn't find anything to say, and Dino patiently waited for an answer.  
-Voi... are you sure?- Squalo asked, -I mean, Hibari...  
-Kyoya knows we have been together. And he knows you're not a menace in that way, otherwise I think you'd still be trying to take his tonfas out of your ass. But he also knows how much I care about you. He won't complain, I swear.  
-VOI! Alright, then, but if I see a tonfa I'm leaving!  
-Deal!- Dino's smile shone.  
-Come on, let's go now. Or you'll be late.- Dino pushed Squalo outside the room they were into and turned around to close the door. He abruptly looked back when he heard Squalo yelling: -VOOOIII! The fuck is going on?!

-Hey! Hi, you two!- Viola greeted, faking joy. Skull's revelation had shocked her. They were together, more or less, they were cautiously starting to know each other and little by little they were starting to care, but she felt something enormous and scary in his past. The idea that someone could have whipped him so hard to leave scars on him, who came out with no signs from the worst incidents, made her feel nauseous.  
-Everything's alright?- Skull asked.  
-Of course, Gokudera just told me that I'm smart!- Lambo answered, and Skull looked at the two of them. Their clothes were ragged and they both looked like they had been crying.  
-Skull, Viola, when are you two going to marry?- Gokudera abruptly asked. Skull almost choked on his saliva and Viola stumbled while standing still. -The fuck possessed you?- the woman asked.  
-Listen closely. I guess that we'll have to meet for Christmas, am I right?  
-Well, I wasn't thinking so far but... I guess so.  
-I can't. Be. Reborn's. Only. Father-in-law.- Gokudera said, word by word, slowly so that it was as clear as possible. Lambo had broken an embarrassing silence by asking him how it felt to be Reborn's father-in-law and the idea had almost driven him mad. Then, while they were going back in, Lambo had consoled him by telling him that he could divide the role with Skull.  
Skull who, in that very moment, was looking at his watch: -If Dino and Kyoya hurry up, maybe we can be able to get married quickly after them.  
-No, that's not gonna happen!- Viola replied, but on her face there was a suspicious redness and a funny smile.  
-Come on, what's the difference? You'll have it better, you know. If I die, you take my retirement money. If you get mad at me and throw me from a stack you can decide to cut the power, if...  
-If you manage to stay alive, you'll do me a favour...- Viola interrupted him, -Anyway, I said no.  
-I don't care if it's today, but do it before Christmas!- Gokudera said.  
-What is your brain blabbering? Anyway, if Skull hasn't “accidentally” fallen from a stack before Christmas, I'll make him act as Reborn's father-in-law anyway.  
-Oh, God.- Lambo said, his eyes lost in the distance, -No,wait, I changed my mind.  
-What? How? Why?- Gokudera asked, anticipating Skull for a mere second just because the ex Arcobaleno had suddenly felt let out by Lambo's statement.  
-No, no, I would get twice the dad jokes, we can't do it. I couldn't bear it. I'm too unstable.- the temperature dropped by ten degrees. Birds stopped chirping. Skull and Gokduera said at unison: -Hi, Too Unstable, I'm Dad.- and high-fived each other.  
-Fuck my life.- Viola whispered.  
-VOI! The fuck is going on?- Squalo asked.  
-Run, Squalo! Gokudera and Skull are starting to say dad jokes!- Lambo warned him.  
-VOI! Come on, you idiot, I'm sure you provoked them!- Squalo replied, taking him by the collar, -And fix that fucking suit, the fuck did you do, did you roll in the glass like an idiot kid?- Dino laughed and put an arm on his Guardians' shoulders.  
-Come on, you too. If we're late, Kyoya will kill us.  
-Here, let's hurry up, if there's some time left after your wedding we're getting married too!- Skull said, giggling and only partly joking.  
-I said we can't!- she replied.  
-If I tell the officer that I need it to become Reborn's father-in-law...  
-You idiot, the officer is Reborn!  
-Ah.- Dino laughed and hugged Skull's neck: -Next time, man!- he consoled him. Viola set herself free from Dino's hold and signalled him that she needed a minute, so the blond left with Skull, followed by Lambo and Squalo.  
-Is everything alright?- Viola asked quietly, looking at Gokudera.  
-He said he loves me.- he answered, -Fran showed him the past and Lambo realized that I've always tried to protect him somehow.  
-Alright, so cool, now come down to Earth, you're scary when you try to be funny.  
-You know what's scary?- Gokudera, who was slowly walking towards the ceremony salon, stopped. Viola, a step ahead of him, turned around and looked at him. Gokudera went on: -How much I realized I care about him. It's...- unable to explain, Gokudera spread his arms. Viola made a sweet smile and said: -I know. You'll get used to it. Just wait until he fucks up with something, it puts everything back in perspective.  
-Then it won't be long.- Gokudera joked, then he asked: -How did he fuck up with you?  
-He pooped. He pooped everywhere. I can't remember what he ate, I sure don't know how did he manage to produce all of that in the five minutes it took me to heat up his milk, but I swear there was poop up even on the walls. A thing like that really changes your way of seeing the world.- on the doorstep of the ceremony salon, they parted. Gokudera sat in the first row at Hibari's half and waved at Tsuna, who was waiting beside the altar together with Romario, and Viola sat between Skull and Melissa. Lambo bent towards Gokudera and said: -Adelheid's boobs occupy half of the room.- Gokudera slapped his neck. Laughing while standing so close to Hibari and Adelheid was a terrible idea, even if maybe Fon, the other best man, may try to calm them down.

The music started and Dino Cavallone came in, leaning on Superbi Squalo's arm. The swordsman caught Hibari's eyes and he was surprised not to find in it, in fact, any rage. Moreover, if he had to rely on the experience he had gained in years of interpretation of Xanxus' glances, he could swear he could see some hint of gratitude.  
He left Dino at the altar, with a small bow, then he went to sit in the first row, in a spot that the Guardians of Cavallone had left free just for him.  
Reborn, from behind the altar, began a speech about why they had gathered there and Squalo started to look around. There were very few people, and judging by the fact that Hibari didn't seem annoyed he could easily predict that the lunch would be quick, painless and not crowded. So, Xanxus wouldn't have to worry that their wedding would seem less luxurious. They would only have to remember to set up a cage where to put Hibari if he was to be annoyed by the crowd.  
-The best men may bring the rings.- Reborn said, and Romario and Fon stepped forward.  
Dino took the ring from the box his Guardian was giving him and took Hibari's left hand: -I, Dino Cavallone, take you, Kyoya Hibari, as my rightful husband. In good and bad fate, in health and in sickness, until death do us part. With this ring...  
-No.- Hibari interrupted him. Dino stared at him, shocked, and Hibari went on: -Wherever you will go, I will follow. Even to your grave.- Dino swallowed, while his eyes filled up with tears.  
-So...- he said in a broken voice, -I promise to love you for the rest of eternity, even if the universe should collapse. Somewhere, my soul will still love you.- Hibari bit his lower lip. Dino let the ring slowly slip on his finger and said: -With this ring I choose you, with my heart and my life.- Hibari stared at his own hand as if he couldn't completely understand.  
Fon went close to him and put a hand on his shoulder, whispering calming words in his ear. Hibari bit his lip, but Dino didn't miss the tiny smile that was about to emerge.  
The brunet took the ring and Dino's left hand, and put the two close. He opened his mouth to speak a few times, while everyone waited. Eventually, he looked at Dino. His eyes were filled with nervousness, and the blond gently smiled at him. Hibari whispered: -Same.- and Dino laughed. With his free hand he gestured at Reborn, who was opening his mouth, probably to tell Hibari to pronounce his promises.  
-It's alright, Reborn!- Dino said, smiling, tears in his eyes, -If he was to say a sentence so long in front of a public, I'd start to think that he's a clone!  
-You idiot.- Hibari muttered, then he put the ring on his finger, brushing his skin with his fingertips: -With this ring, you are mine, and I am yours.- everyone applauded, and Hibari turned towards the audience. In a menacing voice he said: -I'll bite to death everyone who tries to divide us.- Lambo caught Reborn's amused glance and smiled at him.  
-Kyoya...- the hitman called him, trying to stay in character with his role, -We know.  
-Nh.- Hibari looked in Dino's eyes again. Reborn lifted his hands and announced: -Now, the rain won't wet you anymore, because you will be one another's refuge. You won't feel cold anymore, because you'll warm one another. You won't be alone anymore, because you'll be company to one another. The grooms may kiss each other.- Dino and Hibari didn't hesitate. To be honest, they didn't even let him finish: they glued to each other as if the rest of the world had ceased to exist.  
Reborn, who actually meant to say another few things, after a while realized that it would have been useless, if not dangerous, to try to stop them, and he went to Lambo, while the people started to get up from their seats and gathered in small groups to quietly chat. Lambo smiled and Reborn asked: -How are you?  
-Quite fine, I'd say. After the ceremony for the inheritance I'll be able to come back to Japan. What about you?  
-I'm gad that you're coming back home.- Reborn whispered. Those two last weeks when he had been far from Lambo had been hell: they were only able to wave goodbye and Reborn, after the doctors had told him how fragile Lambo's bones still were, didn't dare to touch him the way he would have liked to. And now, the need to exchange some more intense caresses with him was driving him crazy.  
-Do we need to book a seat for you, or did Squalo already do?- he asked, hiding his impatience.  
-I'm actually coming back with their jet. Turbulences are a minor problem, with that one.- Reborn licked his lips, wondering whether he should volunteer as a chaperon, when Squalo reached them and said: -VOI, Reborn. We're sending this brat back home, did he tell you?  
-Yes, he did. Thank you for everything.- Squalo nodded, but when he opened his mouth to reply he was attacked by Dino, who jumped at his neck and kissed him on his cheek, before going on kissing almost everyone. Hibari, still near the altar together with Fon and Adelheid, greeted Kusakabe by his side.  
Reborn, set himself free by Dino, took Lambo out of the room. Once in the hallway, he asked: -Did you speak with Gokudera?- Lambo nodded.  
-Fran helped me to replay my memories. Gokudera... he never...- Lambo sighed, -I don't know how to explain this. Somehow, he always managed to make sure that I was safe, and he always tried not to show it. Even if I can't understand why.  
-Because when you're a man of the Mafia, a tough one, you don't show your feelings.- Reborn said, then his hand went to his hat to push it over his face; he didn't find it, and he remember he had took it off to celebrate the wedding. He combed his hair with his fingers, instead: -But when you're involved, everything goes havoc.  
-What do you mean?- Lambo asked. He wasn't smiling anymore. Reborn smirked: -One must love you. Nothing else is possible.- he answered, then he put a finger in one of the dimples on his cheeks, that had just appeared in response to his embarrassed smile.


	28. A New Dawn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Inheritance Ceremony isn't going as planned.  
> Tsuna shows some balls.  
> Xanxus isn't showing affection in any way, of course.  
> A long hidden affection is uncovered.

-I don't like him.- Basil said, frowning.  
-Don't tell me.- Lal replied. They were staring at the man who had just arrived with Lussuria: -He could be Jon Bon Jovi and you wouldn't like him just because he's with Lussuria.  
-Seriously, Lal.- Basil answered, -Who the fuck is he? Have you ever seen him?  
-I doubt that a high ranking Varia officer would date a random dude without checking, Basil. Don't be irrational, you well know that...  
-Basil, Lal.- Iemitsu greeted them, as pout as ever, -Do you mind hurrying up? You have to lead Tsuna to the stage.  
-I'm going.- Basil said, going away. Iemitsu asked Lal: -Is he OK?  
-He's just nervous. The situation is delicate.- she cut it up, following the colleague. To be honest, she was worried: Basil had been in love with Lussuria for ages, he had never found the guts to flirt with him and maybe he had ended up thinking that the other didn't seem too eager to get a partner. Seeing him with another man in an official occasion could destroy him, but never ever Lal was going to share her worries with Iemitsu: that man was badly homophobic.  
She followed Basil towards the building where the Ninth, Tsuna and Xanxus were; halfway there, she saw Lussuria happily wave and come closer. She intercepted him and said: -I'm sorry, Lussuria, we can't stop, we're already late.- and she pushed Basil away. Her heart sunk a little seeing Lussuria's sad face, but she pushed back the sense of guilt: of course Lussuria wanted to show his new boyfriend around, it was understandable since he had to be the first in ages or something like that, but Basil was at risk of saying something bad, or worse, feel bad.  
-Colonnello.- Basil called, entering the building. Colonnello was at the reception desk and was seriously talking with Reborn, but he looked up and said: -Basil. Tell me.  
-Who the fuck is that guy with Lussuria? What do we know about him?- Colonnello handed him a sheet. He had expected his question, and to be honest he had asked it to himself as well: not that the evaluations of the Varia were unreliable, but bringing a stranger to a so important ceremony sounded like a risk, so he had checked three other times.  
-He's clean.- he summed up, -Nothing more than a postman, no relations with the Mafia, no history, just... just a postman. I'm sorry, Basil.  
-What's important is that he won't cause any problem. Not today.- Basil said, then he left for the room where Tsuna was waiting for them to come.  
-Tsuna.- he called.  
-Oh, it's time?- Tsuna asked, raising his head, then he caught his glance and asked: -Basil, are you alright?  
-No, I'm not. But don't worry, it will go away.- Tsuna got up and grabbed his shoulders: -What's happening?  
-I just found out that the man I love has someone.- Basil answered, looking away. Tsuna asked no more and hugged him.  
-Sawada.- Xanxus called from the door, -Move it, it's time.  
-Yeah, coming.- Tsuna answered, then he followed him. They went near the Ninth's wheelchair and, protected by the members of the Cedef, they went towards the stage that had been set up in the garden. The audience took place; the major Families were in the first rows, and they had been instructed about how to behave if there had been oppositions by the minor ones, but Tsuna really didn't expect any problem. He really wasn't going to put the Alliance at risk, he wasn't even forcing the other Families to follow his path: he was unilaterally changing the things just for the Vongola. Of course, some illicit action was to be filed, but in many cases, listening to his allies' suggestions, Tsuna had agreed to negotiate. To make an example, Olivia Bovino had stated that they weren't going to leave the field of the prostitution; Dino, surprising Tsuna, had said the same. But, and his objection made a lot of sense, just to be sure that the prostitute could be allowed a safeguard, that they could be sane and clean and that no one was to abuse them.  
In front of Tsuna's shock, Dino had patiently explained that it was impossible to eradicate prostitution: at least, under his control, he could guarantee that those who practised it were adequately protected. It's better, he had said, to fuck with a stranger in a warm bed, with guards around, ready to intervene, rather than in a car in the middle of the woods, where no one could hear you scream for help.  
Tsuna sighed, realizing that he was about to spend months, if not ages, discussing into details about the dirtiest matters to find a solution.  
-Sawada, what's up?- Xanxus growled, -Man up.  
-Nothing, I'm just thinking at all the work that I'll have to do.- Tsuna answered, gritting his teeth.  
-Well, it's you who...  
-No, wait.- Tsuna interrupted him, -That's not the truth.- Xanxus glanced at him: -Hyper Intuition?  
-I hope not. But I'm afraid yes.  
-Do you want to cancel?  
-Boys, stop talking, please.- the Ninth interrupted them, -We're already here. Warn your Guardians, if you can, but we can't delay.- he glanced at Coyote, who nodded.  
The Ninth got up from the wheelchair and got on the stage; helped by Tsuna and Xanxus, who carried him without making it seem so, he managed to reach the podium.  
-Welcome everyone.- he said in the microphone. His voice was feeble, but firm. Tsuna didn't listen much from his introductory speech: he knew, having approved it, that the first part would just be a boring list of Families and their contributes to the Vongola Alliance. He started to look around in the audience, looking for something that made his Hyper Intuition tingle again; Gokudera, from the first row, caught his glance and slightly nodded at him. Tsuna stood still; it only took a second for his right hand man to understand that it was better to wear the Rings. He leaned towards Yamamoto, who was sitting at his left, and whispered something in his ear.  
Tsuna looked at the Varia: only Squalo had put his Ring on. It could seem a risky move, not warning the others, but Tsuna knew it was genius: the Varia going full red alert would convince anyone that it's not the case to try to do something, but that would only have postponed the issue, maybe even enlarging it. Whatever the threat was, it wouldn't have been wise to let it proliferate. A few words, whispered in the wrong ear, were more than enough to destroy the entire Alliance.  
-Now, my dear colleagues and friends.- said the Ninth, after a small break to drink a sip of water, -Let's us shift to the part where I explain why I asked you to spend this wonderful spring day listening to an old man.- educated signs of fun came from the audience.  
-I'm the Ninth Boss of the Vongola Family. During my long years of regency, I had known each one of us, and I had the privilege to be accepted as the head of the Alliance. Now, however...- the Ninth abruptly stopped at the sound of a chair being moved, at the furthest end of the open-air salon. A man he didn't recognize got up, pointed a gun at the stage and yelled: -Now it's time you pay for all that you've done!- everything, then, happened very quickly.  
The gun shot.  
Tsuna jumped to the front part of the stage and raised a hand, fuelling up his Vongola Gear, then he fell back while the bullet hit his arm.  
Xanxus threw himself on Timoteo and shoved him to the ground.  
-VOOOIII! GET HIM!- Squalo commanded, taking out his sword. Basil, Iemitsu, Lal and Colonnello covered the three fallen men on the stage to protect them, while the Cavallone threw themselves on the man who had fired the gun.  
-TENTH!- Gokudera yelled, jumping on the stage; the other Vongola Guardians covered his back, ready to protect him if it had been necessary. Tsuna grabbed his husband by the collar of the jacket and muttered: -Tell them... don't kill him.  
-But Tenth, he...  
-I want... to know... the problem.- Gokudera nodded and called: -Hey, Haneuma! Spare his life, the Tenth wants to know what he has to say!  
-Yes, sir.- Dino answered. His Guardian of the Mist grabbed the man's wrists and handcuffed him with a Mammon Chain inspired pair of handcuffs, that would prevent him from using his Flames if he had some.  
Tsuna sat up and turned around to see how Xanxus and the Ninth were.  
-Teo?- Coyote's voice called; he was too scared to mind social conventions. Gokudera looked away and felt he could understand him perfectly.  
Xanxus was lying over the Ninth; none of the two was making a sound, and under them there was a large pool of blood. Gokudera threw a glance at Lussuria, that should already have called the Sun Squad to command an intervention, and he was surprised to find him with his back to the stage. His voice was low and unrecognisable when it broke the silence: -Simone?!

A tremendous pain at his shoulder blade woke Xanxus up, little by little. It took him a few second to remember, then the weight of a fragile head covered with a few thin hair on his hand made him gain his focus on the situation.  
-Old man.- he muttered.  
-I'm fine, son.- the Ninth replied. His pupils were blown by the shock, but he seemed to be unharmed. Maybe some hurt bone, after all he was old and vulnerable, but Xanxus had been ready to take the blow on his head with his hand, saving him from a worse fate.  
-Xanxus sama,- a voice called, -Please let me check.- Xanxus turned around and saw the uniform of the Sun Squad; before allowing the girl to go on, however, he took a second to check the situation. The man that had shot had been disarmed and immobilised by the Cavallone. The Rain and Storm Squads had set a line of defence around the Families while the Lightning Squad was protecting the stage; behind the latest, the best members of the Cedef. -Sawada,- Xanxus called, -Are you with us?  
-I am, Xanxus.- Tsuna replied. His voice was low and serious, as the one he had when he entered his Zero Point mode. Gokudera said: -His arm is hurt.- Xanxus nodded at the girl who had called him and sent her to Tsuna, then called another two. -The Ninth first.- he said.  
-There's enough of us to cure you all at the same time, Xanxus sama.-a blond boy told him, -Please, show me your shoulder.- Xanxus, seeing that the Ninth was already being taken care of, not only by the Sun Squad but also by his Sun Guardian, Nie Brow jr, surrendered. He caught Squalo's glance; the man was holding Lussuria's shoulder to calm him down, and Xanxus nodded at him to reassure the man about his condition.  
Tsuna was quickly cured and asked: -How's the Ninth?  
-He's fine.- Coyote answered, visibly relieved.  
-LOOK AT ME!- yelled the man who had shot. A big black cat meowed at him and let out a tiny cloud of red smoke. The girl from the Storm Squad that had freed her Box called it with e whistle to prevent it from attacking, and Xanxus saw Belphegor nodding at her even if he was trying to hold Lussuria, who looked disrupted. A wave of blue Flames crossed the stage, accompanied by a strange sound, and Delfino di Pioggia gently flew over the Varia. Lussuria calmed down a little.  
The Ninth slowly got up, helped by Coyote and Nie. He said: -I'm sorry, young man, I can't remember who you are. But I'm sure that, whatever the matter is, we can discuss it calmly.  
-BULLSHIT!- the man yelled. Tsuna got up and went to kneel in front of him.  
-Could you tell me your name, please? And tell me what happened.- he kindly said. The man spat on his face. Lussuria whined, covered his face with both hands and his against Levi's chest; the latter was too shocked to push him away, so he just stood there like an idiot, staring at his head.  
-Let me do it for you, Tsunayoshi.- Mukuro said, then he pointed his trident against the man. A low sound barely shook the ground, then the man spoke: -My name is Simone Tovaglieri. The Vongola killed my brother. Agh!- he jumped in pain, and Tsuna put a hand on Mukuro's arm.  
-Xanxus,- Colonnello whispered, -That's Lussuria's new partner.  
-What? But we got him checked!- Xanxus replied. Colonnello didn't say anything else, but pointed at the man, who was about to speak: -Alright, it wasn't my brother! But he was like it, and the Vongola killed him!  
-What was his name?- Tsuna asked. Coyote carried Timoteo to his wheelchair, then he pushed him near them.  
-Matteo Cascino.- Simone answered. It was clear that Mukuro was forcing him to speak: the veins on his neck were swollen, his face red and puffy, but he couldn't fight against the power of the Mist.  
-I remember him. Coyote said.  
-What happened, Coyote?- the Ninth asked. Coyote kneeled in front of the man and said: -Tovaglieri, now I remember you. You were but a kid, at the time.- he turned towards Timoteo and Tsuna, -Cascino was head of a clique. They were importing low-quality cocaine and sold it at low prices around Palermo.  
-It was Matteo's only way of surviving!- Simone yelled, -He was sinking in debts because he had to pay for his mother's cures and...  
-An you well know that this is nonsense, since we have public healthcare, in Italy.- Coyote interrupted him, -Cascino got his debt from the Carcassa, since he was one of their men, but he had the bad habit of snorting half of the cocaine instead of selling it, so he tried to work on his own to pay them back.  
-Bullshit!- Simone yelled, -If it's so, why didn't he use the thing he bought himself?  
-Because he didn't want to snort that shit.- Coyote sighed and sat on the ground. He vividly remembered the facts and the death toll it had costed.  
-We tried to talk to him. To negotiate. We would have paid his debt with the Carcassa, if he agreed to stop working on his own and got clean. We offered him a job. He said he would think about it, then cut all the drugs he had with whatever and sold it as quick as possible to a lot of poor guys who died because of the limestone he had used.  
-I remember now...- Timoteo whispered. He had paid for each one of those poor souls' funerals, he still could see the massacre: corpses at every corner of the street, so many that for a few days the authorities had thought the water was contaminated. It wasn't acceptable that so many could die in the same night for some badly mixed drug.  
-How did you get here?- Tsuna asked.  
-I seduced Lussuria. He looked desperate enough to fall for it, and I was right.- even Xanxus felt his blood boil, hearing that statement; he had nothing to say when he saw that Levi, waking up, was holding Lussuria's head against his chest.  
What really surprised him was the melancholic song that came from Delfino di Pioggia. He heard Tsuna yell: -Basil, stop!- the dolphin stopped mid air. The hand that Tsuna had lifted was trembling from rage, and so did his voice when he asked: -You deceived a man who had no fault whatsoever. You came here looking for revenge, but instead of asking questions to which, I assure you, we would have answered honestly, you shot a gun against an old man.- Simone was silent for a while and Mukuro let down his trident. Whatever he was going to answer, he didn't want to force him. The crowd was starting to ask for his execution, but the man still wasn't speaking. Then, Simone looked up and stated: -And I'd do it again!- people protested, indignant. The whole thing was an offence, to the Ninth Vongola Boss and to all the Alliance. Tsuna turned his back to the man and asked: -Why did something like this happen?- silence fell, and Tsuna let it spread.  
-Because the Mafia is scary.- he answered. His voice trembled but was however calm: -You disagree with the Mafia, you're a dead man. There's no other way out. So, it's better to take out a gun and hope to drag someone else to hell as well. This is wrong!  
-But that's how we keep the power!- a man protested.  
-Yes, how else could we do? We have positions and...  
-And we have money.- Timoteo interrupted him, -Money, friends, allies... we don't need to terrorize people just because we always did like this. Look at Tsunayoshi, my heir.- someone huffed and Tsuna had to force himself not to faint. Timoteo pretended not to notice and went on: -Tsunayoshi has a better head and a better heart than all of us put together. He's built for power, because he's humble enough to bow his head and pick it up. And that's the reason why I'm retiring, right now, with immediate effect!- there was a murmur of surprise, which grew and grew, so much that Reborn put his hand on his gun, ready to react to protect his pupil. Lambo put a hand on his wrist and said: -Wait. Look.- Reborn glanced at him, and Lambo nodded towards Tsuna. Xanxus was coming from the stage; an irregular hole in his jacket marked the point where he had been shot, but he had already been cured. He went in front of Tsuna, threw a menacing look at him and everyone held their breath. Then, Xanxus kneeled and said, loud and clear: -Vongola Decimo, my regards. The Varia are at your service.  
-Holy. Shit.- Reborn muttered.  
-Told you so.- Lambo cheered. Pushed, or maybe scared by Xanxus' homage, all the Bosses of the allied Families swore their loyalty to Tsuna, one after the other. When they were done, Tsuna said: -As my first official decision, I command this man to be put in jail and that he will be judged fairly. I won't tolerate any extrajudicial killing. Every case will be examined clearly and fairly. The time has come for the Mafia to reveal its true potential. We...- Tsuna gestured at everyone, -We can build a better world.- silence fell.  
Then, a whisper was heard: -Ga...ma...nnn...- and Lambo burst into tears. However, a huge smile was on his face, unmistakable and impossible not to be seen. Reborn rudely took his head and pushed it against his chest, huffing, while the crowd started to clap.  
-Thank you, Tsuna.- Dino Cavallone said. Delfino di Pioggia chanted and Simone lost consciousness. Iemitsu stated: -The Cedef is taking Mr. Tovaglieri in its custody. With your permission, Vongola Decimo.- Tsuna nodded. Iemitsu stood still for a second, then he said: -I'm proud of you, my son.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, this thing with Basil came out of nowhere, I thought it could die right after but a few people told me that now they ship him with Luss and no one could convince them otherwise.  
> It's a great honour to me, and I decided to credit their statement here.  
> I hope you liked this chapter, kudos and comments are always so welcome!  
> XOXO


	29. Static

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lambo's troubling and Verde's trial.  
> Lussuria's grieving and Basil's Requiem.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone.  
> Just wanted to say my biggest thank you to you all and in particular to Kagaminecest_02 who supported me on Friday, during a really bad breakdown.  
> You owe her this chapter, because if it wasn't for her I wouldn't have continued: I've been rudely attacked and insulted because of my ships, to the point that I've been called a pedo and a molester (as you can see, no one here is a minor, but apparently that's even worse, according to the person who told me).  
> I felt really awful, I couldn't understand anything about me anymore and I broke down and cried for a whole day, until I found out that there are people out there called "anti-shippers" who think shipping characters from manga with each other is disrespectful towards said character (I don't get it!) and they can be really rude to shippers, as if a fictional character is more important than an actual human being.  
> I hope you all will like this one as well, thank you for bringing me joy with your comments and support.

-Are you sure you want to assist, Lambo?- Reborn asked.  
-Of course I am. I'm the one who saved his life, right?- Lambo buttoned up his shirt and started to struggle with his tie.  
-Come here.- Reborn said; he took him by his shoulders, went behind him and started to tie it. Lambo was rigid, extremely nervous.  
-Are you nervous?- Reborn asked. Lambo leaned his head against the hitman's chin and didn't answer. Reborn insisted: -Come on, what's up? I'm worrying.  
-I'm just tired.- Lambo answered, turning around to hug him. Reborn held him tight, breathing in his characteristic smell, and put his lips on his cheekbone.  
-And?- he gently asked, his voice a bit suffocated against his skin. Lambo brushed his forehead against Reborn's neck, muttering a false: -Nothing.  
-Lambo.  
-Alright, do you want to go out with me?- he blurted, pushing him away. He started to stare at an empty pencil case as if he had asked it instead of Reborn.  
Reborn who, in the meantime, was dealing with a sudden heartthrob. Lambo's question had caused him a series of undesired and tremendously beautiful images: a candle light dinner, away from everyone's sight, the parting glass in his house's living room, and then one kiss lead to the other... he started to make a list of preparatives so long he forgot to answer.  
-It doesn't matter, maybe later.- Lambo said, saddened.  
-NO! No, I want to, forgive me, I was imagining it.- Reborn answered, going forward to hug him.  
-Do you like the idea?  
-I know the right place. I'll come and get you, I'll tie your tie, I'll treat you like a king all evening, then we go to my place and we see what happens.- Lambo blushed, -What's up?  
-Oh, nothing, nothing.- Lambo denied. Reborn stepped back: -You suck at telling lies, you know?- Lambo scratched his head and giggled.  
-Come on, tell me what you thought.- Reborn encouraged him, then he decided to dare. He went closer, put his lips near his ear and said: -Give me something to think to later this night, when I'll be all alone in my room at Vongola Mansion.- Lambo hesitated. Then, he whispered in Reborn's ear: -I thought that making love for the first time while we're far from anyone else would be great. I wouldn't be afraid to let go.- Reborn suddenly regretted asking. Of course, he had figured out it was something like that, but his mind had just decided to project an x-rated movie, comprehensive of sounds, themed with Lambo's statement.  
-Woah, I don't know if I can wait until tonight.- he said. Then, someone knocked.  
-Yes?- Lambo said, pushing Reborn away. Belphegor opened the door so gently it violently slammed against the wall: -The long haired asshole said it's time to go.  
-Hey, Bel, did he also put a red pepper in your ass to make you so angry?- Belphegor raised both hands, showing that his wrists had six or seven Mammon Chains on each.  
-No, he had Levi block me and he put these on me. The Prince is resentful.  
-Oh, I see. I wonder why he did so. We're coming.- Belphegor went away stomping his feet, without even closing the door.  
-Let me guess,- Lambo said, -Verde was planning to abduct Fran as well?  
-Yes. And you too.- Reborn confessed.  
-That's why you keep telling me not to attend his trial?- Reborn raised an eyebrow and Lambo took him by his wrist: -I'll do it. I swear. And if I don't, I'll go out, or I'll put my headphones on, alright?- Reborn caressed his hair away from his face.  
-At times I forget how much you've grown.  
-VOOOOOIIIII, DO Y'ALL WANT TO HURRY UP?!

-Basil, we're starting in thirty minutes.- Lal said, peeking into the kitchen, -Do you mind keeping company to Lussuria?  
-I'd be glad to.- Basil answered. Lussuria let Lal push him in and made a really fake smile to Basil, who answered with what looked like an explosion of stars.  
-I made tea,- the blond said, -Do you want some?  
-Oh... yes, please.- Lussuria answered. Basil gestured towards a chair and Lussuria sat, feeling inadequate. While the younger man was checking the infusion, he asked: -Can I help you in any way?- for some unknown reason, Basil jumped.  
-Oh! No, thank you, I'm just waiting for the infusion... it's green tea, if I leave it in too long it becomes bitter.  
-Green tea... you really like Japan, don't you?- Basil turned to face him just enough to smile at him again.  
-Yes but no, I mean... I usually go for Earl Grey tea, but I saw you before and you look like you haven't slept in days, and green tea contains a lot of caffeine.- Lussuria swallowed, trying to fight against the tears that were about to flow. Simone's betrayal had hit him really bad, and even that small act of kindness was making him cry.  
-Here you are. With orange and ginger.- Basil said, sitting in front of him. Lussuria put his fingers underneath the handle of the cup, while Basil circled his with both hands. He was really a cute man, Lussuria thought while he looked at him breathing in the smell of the tea, then he chased the idea away: it was that kind of thing that had led him to a broken heart once again.  
He drank a sip of tea. It was amazing: -It's really delicious.- he said. Basil smiled and Lussuria incoherently thought “It has done me good because of the colour of the wheat fields”.  
-I'm glad you like it. It's my favourite flavour of green tea. Lussuria, listen...- the man grabbed at his cup. He had been waiting for someone to finally scold him for believing a man that had then tried to kill the Ninth, hurting Sawada and Xanxus.  
-Tell me, honey.- he said, faking joy.  
-I'm... I'm really sorry for what Tovaglieri said the other day. It was true bullshit.  
-It's my fault.- Lussuria replied, -I shouldn't have believed him.- he put down the cup and brushed his face with both hands, then Basil gently took his wrists.  
-Hey, we all fell for it. We checked him double and he seemed to be clear.  
-Alright, but how could I believe that he wanted me? No one wants me, I'm hideous!- Basil held one of Lussuria's hand in both his, and he let him. The gentle caresses of his fingers were a balm, a Requiem that was different from Squalo's, that was always rational and rude: it was a melancholic lament, a bit like the distant chant of the dolphins in the setting sun, it was a suave lullaby of stars. For some reasons, Lussuria thought about a spectacular sunset he had seen years before, on the mountains: the sky was so clear that behind the sharp edges of the Alps he had seen the sun, the moon and the first evening star, all together, a thing that was impossible in the city. He had made a wish, but he couldn't recall what it was, and there, sitting in the Cedef's kitchen, holding hands with Basil, it didn't seem to matter at all.  
Suddenly, he remembered where did the sentence about the colour of the wheat fields came from: The Little Prince, a book too sloppy to really be of his liking, but that for some reasons had stuck in his mind, one quote here and one quote there.  
-Your Requiem...- he whispered, and he smiled, and for the first time since Simone's betrayal he knew he was sincere, for the first time in years he knew he wasn't wearing a mask.  
-I hope I helped you.- Basil quietly whispered back.  
-Oh, of course you did.- Lussuria said, then he opened his eyes. Basil's cheeks were slightly blushed, -“I shall love to listen to the wind in the wheat.”  
-“Please – tame me.”- Basil replied with the following quote from the book. Lussuria giggled softly: -Cute and cultured, I don't know why you're losing your time with me.- Basil hesitated for a long time, while caressing the back of Lussuria's hands. He opened his mouth to speak, when Iemitsu came in. he saw their hands and his face distorted into a smirk; Lussuria tried to take his hands back, but Basil held him. Iemitsu said: -It's time to go.  
-Coming.- Basil answered, then he waited for Iemitsu to leave. Lussuria gently untangled their hands, feeling just a bit of remorse, and brought the empty cups to the sink. Behind him, Basil said: -“Since she's the one I listened to when she complained, or when she boasted, or even sometimes when she said nothing at all. Since she's my rose. You become responsible forever for what you've tamed.”- when Lussuria turned back to him, Basil had already gone.

-Sawada.- Xanxus called, entering his room without asking for permission. Tsuna jumped, but tried to keep calm: -Good morning, Xanxus.  
-Let's make this clear, brat.- Xanxus said, sitting with the grace of a bear who was suffering from fastidious haemorrhoids. Tsuna swallowed: it was since the inheritance ceremony that he felt a latent homicidal aura around Xanxus, and it wasn't pleasant in the slightest. And Gokudera wasn't with him. Tsuna pictured himself dead in the gutter, found after many months, all mummified.  
-Tell me.- he answered, wearing the most fake smile.  
-You're shitting your pants, aren't you?  
-Ah... well, to be honest, yes I am.- Tsuna confessed. Xanxus laughed: -I'm not here to kill you. Even if I'd like to, after you forced me to kneel in front of you.  
-No, wait, you did it, I didn't ask you to!  
-If I didn't, there would have been a revolution. May I know why you sometimes have some really good ideas and then you go back to your usual dumb self?  
-Believe me, I've been asking myself the same thing for ages.- Xanxus stared at him as if he was trying to understand if he was joking, but Tsuna was really serious. He knew he could go from having the best idea ever to his usual Dame-Tsuna mode and he still couldn't figure out why. Gokudera said it was a clear case of insecurity, but Tsuna wasn't ready to have a deep psychological conversation with Xanxus. In fact, he doubted he could ever be.  
-Anyway, I think you're right. And I thank you for... uhm... saving my ass.  
-Is this the first bad word you say in your fucking life?- Xanxus asked. He sounded genuinely curious.  
-Hem... no, why?  
-You whispered it like a fourth grader. But let's talk about your gratitude...- Xanxus leaned on the back of the chair and joined his hands.  
-Oh, yes... I... what can I do for you?- Tsuna asked.  
-Let me handle the catch and the execution of the enemies.- Tsuna meditated on the purpose. In fact, it was appreciable: if the Varia and the Cedef took the trials in their hands, he would only have to take a look to the accusation and maybe comment them.  
-As for the catch...- he said, then he waited.  
-Yes?  
-You'll go with the “dead or alive” only in very peculiar cases.  
-Yeah, of course, peace and love and gummy bears, Sawada.  
-I'm serious.- Tsuna said. Xanxus leaned forward and replied: -Me too. I don't want to hear any complaint from the Cedef. You know your father pisses me off.  
-He pisses me off as well, so I'd like it if you didn't give him the excuse to come and speak to me.  
-We have a deal. But I will tell you when we could catch the target dead or alive. You wouldn't recognize a hopeless criminal if he stole your cutlery ten times in a row.- Tsuna thought about it, then decided: -Alright. But don't push too much.- Xanxus nodded and got up. He reached the door, then Tsuna called him: -Xanxus.  
-What else do you want?  
-I just wanted to tell you... that we wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you. I... I know I'm weak and too naïve, and I know it's not a good thing, in this world. If you weren't here to man up for me, we would be already dead.- Xanxus seemed to hesitate. He opened his mouth at least five times, then he just said: -It was about time you realized.- and went out.

Lambo was great for the most of the time, while Lal Mirch led the interrogatory to Verde.  
The scientist had answered her questions in a precise manner, without showing any emotion, as if he didn't care. He had described the techniques he was planning to use to investigate about the nature of the Flames of some selected individuals; none of these procedures involved sitting with a cup of tea and some pastries and calmly chat about it.  
Lambo stayed still between Fran and Reborn and didn't flinch when Verde revealed the voltage he wanted him to undergo to test the resistance of the Cuoio Bovino.  
The first sting of distress came when Lal showed the folder about the experiments he had led on Skull. In the row before Lambo, the stuntman lowered his head, as if he was embarrassed to have let the scientist torture him; seeing him so prostrated, so distant from his usual liveliness, was just plain painful. Dino and Viola, who were sitting at his sides, raised an arm each to hold his shoulders: a while before, Fran and Reborn had done the same for Lambo.  
However, Lambo had to restrain himself from getting up and smash the scientist's face when Colonnello had him read aloud all the experiments that Verde intended to make on Fran and Mukuro.  
Mukuro seemed unfazed, but Lambo saw that Chrome had closed her eyes and seemed to be very focused; the boy asked Reborn: -Is it my impression, or is Chrome keeping Mukuro calm?  
-She's not.- Fran answered on behalf of Reborn; his voice was trembling: -She's hiding him. Shishou is breaking down. He underwent all of these experiments already. And I did too. He gained his sight on the Six Reigns, I gained the control of the 666 Ring.  
-ENOUGH!- Tsuna's voice resounded in the hall. The Tenth Vongola Boss got up from the judge bench he was sitting in and went on, rage in his voice: -I've heard enough of your pseudo-scientific claptraps. The jury will retire to decide upon the verdict. Basil?  
-Shall I take him back to his cell, Tenth?  
-Yes. I'll let you know when we have decided.- Tsuna got up and went out of the court hall, followed by Dino and Xanxus. Lambo vaguely thought that that wasn't exactly a fair jury, but he honestly couldn't care less. He was almost regretting saving his life. He got out to buy a hot chocolate from the vending machine in the corridor.  
-Hey, Cow.- Belphegor called.  
-Bel. Where's Fran?  
-He's with Mukuro. Cow, tell me one of your stupid things.  
-Hem...- Lambo hesitated. He couldn't understand what Belphegor meant, then the Prince lifted his arms and showed him his wrists: the Mammon Chains were glimmering and, underneath them, Belphegor's skin was covered in bruises. Some looked quite nasty.  
-What the...  
-My Flames. I can't use them, but I'm going crazy. I want to kill him, tear him to pieces, he wanted to hurt Fran and I want him to die.- Lambo frantically searched for some stupid thing to tell him and didn't find any. At loss with words, he just hugged him very tightly. After a whole minute, Belphegor commented: -What a faggot thing.  
-The one speaking is hetero, huh?- Lambo replied.  
-If you tell someone, I'm using you as a blade holder.- Belphegor said, then he went back to the court hall. Lambo took his plastic glass and drank the chocolate in small sips, looking outside the window. I-Pin appeared at his side, silent and calm as usual: -How do you feel?  
-So and so.- he answered, shuddering. I-Pin grabbed his arm with her own and there they stood, without speaking, just looking outside, until Iemitsu called everyone back in for the verdict.

Tsuna seemed to be out of his mind for the rage.  
He got up and said: -Xanxus sama, leader of the Varia, made a purpose. We have come to a severe but righteous verdict, Verde, according to the gravity of your intentions and actions.- the scientist bowed his head.  
-Verde's Flames,- Tsuna said to everyone, -Have been sealed using his own Green Mosca. The defendant gave the same treatment to two former Arcobalenos, Fon and Viper. He stated to have built some bullets to unseal the Flames, and these had been in fact found in his base at Camp Derby.- Tsuna took a deep breath and spoke directly to Verde: -One of those bullets will be used on you, so we'll be sure that they'll work. If it does, and it doesn't kill you instead, Fon and Viper will be given their Flames back, while yours will be sealed again. You will be forced to wear enforced Mammon Chains, so to prevent any future attempt to remove the seal. You're condemned to live the rest of your life without your Flames, in a conditional freedom regime.- Verde nodded, tears in his eyes.  
Tsuna looked back at the people attending: -This trial will be a specimen. From now on, I delegate the Varia and the Cedef to the catch and punishment of anyone who will oppose the Vongola.- he made a small pause. Then, as a rethink, he went on: -I think it's unnecessary to remind you that it isn't wise to hope for Xanxus' mercy. Meeting adjourned.

-How are you, sweetheart?- Gokudera asked, joining Tsuna in the small room beside the court hall.  
-I feel like hell.- Tsuna answered. Gokudera got close and held him: -I supposed so. But it will pass.- Tsuna hugged Gokudera's neck and tiptoed to kiss him. It would take him a while to get rid of his sense of guilt, but for the time being, there in Gokudera's arms, everything bad seemed to be distant and unimportant.


	30. Turbulence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lambo is nervous, just a tiny bit.  
> Fran is sad.  
> Two Rains lose their calm.  
> Someone has fun.

Lambo really wanted to start screaming and never stop.  
He was finally back to Japan, he had slept for something like twenty hours in a row and he had woken up to a message from Reborn, clear and short: “I'll come and get you at seven o'clock tonight.”  
Alright, perfect, wonderful, thirty seconds later Lambo was already on the phone with Fran, he was hyperventilating and speaking a blue streak: Fran hung up without saying a word, and his cellphone was then unreachable for three hours. When he called back, he said: -I didn't understand shit. Tell me.  
-Tonight I have that famous date with Reborn. What do I do?- Fran sighed. They had spoken about it for all the flight, and Lambo seemed to have calmed down.  
It clearly wasn't going to last.  
-I told you. You go out, you eat as if Xanxus was staring at you, you follow him at his place and you relax your muscles. It'll be fine, you'll see.  
-Fran, it's from that hole that...  
-I know.- Fran interrupted him. They had spoken about that too, -I told you what to do, haven't I?  
-Yes, you did, but what if Tsuna nii thinks I don't feel good and decides that it's better if I don't go out?  
-First, you're almost twenty-one and you're old enough to decide. Second, I'm sure that he found himself doing that kind of thing. Either him or...  
-STOP IT! Don't move, don't go on, I don't wanna know anything more!- Lambo tried to go out of his room and painfully bumped his nose on the wall. Tears in his eyes, he said: -Ga... ma... nnn...  
-Alright, coming. Wait for me.- Fran hung up. While he was dressing up to go out, he thought that he already missed Belphegor, and that it was impressing how his mood was bad for that.  
-Fran.- Mukuro called.  
-Shishou.- he answered, wondering whether he had to put on some denim pants or if it was warm enough for some lighter trousers.  
-You miss Belphegor.- Mukuro stated. It wasn't a question, but Fran wasn't surprised that his master had already understood. And to be honest, the first thing he had done after greeting everyone was to lock himself in his room like an emo kid and listen to a bunch of sad songs, so it really wasn't necessary to be an illusionist to understand.  
Fran shuddered, feeling tears come into his eyes: hell, yes, he missed him, and he had no clue about how he could keep himself sane until the next call from the Varia.  
Mukuro, who was leaning at the wall, got closer and said: -You know, I don't think I have nothing else to teach you. During the battle you proved that you already are a complete illusionist. I think the time has come for you to settle down at the Varia, definitely.  
-Shishou...- Fran whispered, then he threw himself in his arms: -Thank you!  
-Oya oya, stop it, you brat.- Mukuro said, brushing his hair. Moved by his commotion, he kissed his head and said: -But you have to promise me that you'll call.  
-Everyday, Shishou, I promise! Thank you!- Mukuro brushed his hair again and pushed him back: -I'll leave a note for Squalo this afternoon. Today Tovaglieri will be executed, when they'll be done we'll organize everything. Now go to Lambo, I can feel him going mad from here.- Fran giggled. Mukuro smiled and turned his back to him to go away, but when he was on the doorstep Fran called him back: -Shisou... I'll miss you a lot.  
-...I'll miss you too.- Mukuro confessed, then he went away.

-Fran!- Gokudera greeted him, -Thank God, AhoUshi is going crazy. He's been singing ballads for half an hour and he refuses to talk to anyone, please do something.  
-Yeah, he's going out with Reborn tonight and he plans to have sex with him, he's a bit nervous.- Fran spied on him. Gokudera violently blushed and the illusionist went on, pretending not to see his embarrassment: -More, if it's possible, please don't question anything he may do today.  
-Anyth... oh!- Gokudera blushed a little bit more. He looked on the verge of a heart attack. He pulled Fran by his shirt and shoved him along the corridor, then he slammed the door and said: -Alright, got it, go, second room on the right, bye.- Fran stood still. Gokudera had disappeared so fast that he mildly doubted he was even there in the first time.  
-Lambo...- Fran called, knocking on the door.  
-“Eeeveryyy beeeat of my heeeart, I would giiive!”- Lambo sang. He was terribly deaf-toned. Fran shoved the door open with the Guaranteed Belphegor Kick and came in.  
-Come on, stop it.- he said.  
-Fran, what if I show me up?- Lambo replied. Fran sighed and went closer, took his hands and forced him to sit on the bed. He lowered YouTube's volume with his powers, then looked at Lambo. He gently smiled: -We already talked about this. Reborn didn't fall in love with you after you went to the Varia and become a serious person.  
-...for now, thank you for thinking I wasn't such, before.  
-You were a total disaster before, don't interrupt me.  
-Sorry.  
-It's because you were a total disaster and Reborn already liked you, you don't have to worry. Even if you show you up once or twice, or a hundred times, he'll still be loving you.- Lambo took a deep breath and nodded.  
-Come on, now let's go grab something to eat.- Lambo smiled.

-Xanxus sama, I have to make a request.- Iemitsu said as a greeting.  
-Good morning to you too.- Xanxus replied, dripping sarcasm.  
-Basil wants to take care of the execution.- Iemitsu went on, pretending not to notice his tone of voice. Xanxus thought about it for a while, then asked: -Why that?  
-Because he said he wants to do it himself.- Iemitsu answered, shuddering. Xanxus looked at Squalo, who nodded and said: -VOI, no problem for me.  
-Perfect.- Iemitsu cut it short and left the office.  
-The fuck are we supposed to do, now?- Xanxus blurted. There was nothing to do, Iemitsu always managed to roll up his balls in no time.  
-VOI, he let us here like two idiots, I'll cut him to slices!- Squalo yelled.  
Lal Mirch appeared on the doorstep, looking a bit off: -I beg your pardon. Iemitsu went to take the condemned. Let me lead you to the executions salon.- Xanxus growled, and he and Squalo followed her out of the room.  
-Executions salon... is it new?- Xanxus asked, sarcastic.  
-Yes. It was a meeting room that we never used.  
-Nice name. Not resonant at all.  
-Listen, I'm in a bad mood as well, you know?- Lal said. Xanxus raised an eyebrow, astonished, and Squalo held his wrist to help him avoid committing a homicide.  
-Lussuria didn't come, I guess.- Lal said out of the blue.  
-No.- Xanxus cut short, still offended.  
-VOI! Listen, Lussuria feels like hell, he's a ball and chain but I'm not forcing him to come and see his ex-boyfriend dying!  
-Understandable.- Lal said gently. She hesitated, opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, then closed it and shook her head.  
-Speak.- Xanxus gnarled.  
-Nothing.- Lal replied.  
-VOI, you better speak, he's in a bad mood and he won't let this fall.  
-Record the execution.- Lal said, -You'll understand as soon as you see Basil.- Xanxus opened his mouth to ask something more, but Lal opened a door and moved at one side, gesturing at them to let them in. Squalo let Xanxus go first and they all went in.  
Tovaglieri was already in the middle of the room, and Basil was standing in front of him; Delfino di Pioggia was calmly swimming mid-air over them. Xanxus raised an eyebrow at the sight of Basil's severe and determined expression; he had always seen the man as an idiot who still believes in Santa; he looked up and his face was deformed by a strange smirk.  
Squalo, beside Xanxus, took out his phone.  
Lal Mirch nodded and said: -We can begin, Basil.- he nodded.  
He said loud and clear: -Simone Tovaglieri. You've been judged guilty of attempt at killing and manipulation. The premeditation for your act and your declaration of lack of remorse for your acts label you as potentially recidivist. So you've been condemned to the death penalty. You will be given death by the influx of the Rain Flames. I'll calm your breath and progressively slow your heart beat down until death will occur.- Tovaglieri didn't comment. He just stood where he was, his head low. Basil gestured at Delfino di Pioggia, who started to let out a heart-breaking chant. Little by little, Tovaglieri started to show difficulty in his breathing, a little bit more as time passed by.  
-Jesus Christ,- Xanxus said after fifteen minutes, -Why the fuck is he going so slow?  
-Because he wants him to suffer.- Lal answered, looking away, -I think it's clear that there's no need for the Tenth to know how much time this is taking.  
-Do you think we're stupid?- Xanxus growled. After another exhausting fifteen minutes, Tovaglieri stopped breathing. To see his agony had been terrible, and Squalo got out without asking for permission, following Lal and hoping that she was going to exit the building. So it was, and Squalo ran to a terrace and breathed the still cool air of the late spring; it seemed to him that he wasn't able to correctly expand his lungs, and he felt his cheeks on fire as if he had a fever. The torture that had led to Tovaglieri's death had been terrible also for the identity of its bearer: not that Basil was gutless, on the contrary, Squalo could easily recall him as a teenager, strongly opposing him, but he had always showed the cruelty of a chocolate pastry. Such a torture was unthinkable.  
-Hey, Squalo. Everything alright?- Xanxus asked.  
-Fine.- Squalo answered.  
-I've seen such cruelty before only from Belphegor when he is in a bad mood.  
-Yeah.- Squalo didn't say anything else, and Xanxus put his hand on his hip.  
-What else?  
-I almost drowned when I was a kid. It's been a fucking nightmare.- Squalo struggled to swallow. He could recall as if it had just happened the sensation of not being able to breathe, the weight of the water on his chest, the chlorine of the pool burning his lungs while entering them instead of air. It had been Romario to save his life, he remembered. At the time, Cavallone Ninth was alive and well, and his Rain Guardian had the duty to check on little Dino and Squalo, who were less then ten years old back then, while they were playing in the pool. His arms around his chest had been the signal that he was safe, and Squalo managed to calm down only when Xanxus, unknowingly, did the same, after checking that no one was there to see them. He hugged him from behind, pressing his chest against Squalo's back, and little by little the swordsman regained his grasp on the present moment and he realized that somewhere near them there was someone crying: it was a desperate, weak weeping, like the one of a child who has been left alone for too long, but the voice was one of a man.  
Led by his natural Flame-fueled urge to calm, Squalo followed the sound. He turned a corner of the building, going to the east-oriented side of the terrace, and he saw Basil crying his heart out in Lal's arms. The woman explained: -Colonnello went to take our Rings, we'll calm him down. There's no need for...- Squalo put a hand on Basil's head, and the gesture apparently went unnoticed. The Ring shone on Squalo's middle finger, and he said: -Now stop it. It's no use to cry for such a piece of shit, he deserved what he got.  
-It's... not for him.- Basil replied. He had stopped sighing, but tears kept flowing along his cheeks.  
-For who, then?  
-My rose.- Squalo looked at Lal in search for an explanation and she said: -Lussuria.  
-VOI! WHAT?!- Basil's head almost escaped his grip. Lal froze Squalo with her deadliest stare, and the swordsman rolled his eyes: -Lussuria will be fine. He's a rock, he'll recover. I'll tell him that you took care of... uhm... avenging his... his broken heart.- Squalo caught a glimpse of Xanxus' face: the man had moved behind Lal to see the scene and understand what was going on, and he had just faked a gag. Basil looked at Squalo and asked: -Will you?  
-I will. Now stop crying, go wash your face and clean up the snot. You're not a child anymore.- Basil nodded, set himself free from Lal's hug and went back in. the woman commented: -Wow, I get it now, why you lot haven't killed each other yet.  
-Varia Quality.- Squalo said. Xanxus got close to him and said: -We're leaving. Sawada won't know shit from us. We'll only tell him that the execution went well and that Tovaglieri is no longer a problem.- Lal nodded, grateful.  
Ten minutes of awkward silence later, when they already were in the car, Xanxus asked: -So, tell me if I'm wrong, does Basil have a crush on Lussuria?  
-VOI! That's the weirdest shit I've ever heard, but everything seems right now.  
-Fuck. What a weirdo.- Xanxus commented, then he closed his eyes and fell asleep. Squalo fastened his seatbelt and leaned on the back of his seat, trying to figure out how to tell Lussuria that someone cared about him.

The minute-hand on Reborn's Patek Philippe hit the twelve. The hitman waited thirty seconds more, then he rang the bell.  
Gokudera opened the door and said, without even greeting him: -I think Lambo is playing statues.- Reborn huffed a nervous laugh. -What?  
-Maybe not, maybe he's just so nervous that he went on stand by. He's in his room, unlock him and take him away, he's been unbearable today.- Reborn smiled and Gokudera frowned.  
-Hey, what's that face?- Reborn asked.  
-You made a smile so sweet that I got cavities. If you don't mind, I'll go brush my teeth, you know the way.  
-Idiot...- Reborn muttered, then he reached Lambo's bedroom: -Ciaossu.  
-Hi?- Lambo replied, turning back abruptly. Reborn reached him and grabbed the two parts of his necktie that were hanging on his chest.  
-What's up? You changed your mind about our date?- Reborn asked, starting to make a knot.  
-Yes, I mean no, no, I didn't change my mind!- Lambo answered, -But I'm afraid for later, you know...  
-If I'm not mistaken, I said we go to my place and we see what happens. We're not forced to do anything.- Reborn gently smiled and Lambo relaxed just a bit. -Shall we go?- the hitman asked, putting the perfectly knotted tie on his chest. Lambo nodded.  
-So, come on.- Reborn led him outside, they both waved goodbye to Tsuna and Gokudera from the entranceway, then they got on Reborn's sports car.  
-Holy shit, this is a cool car.- Lambo commented; he had never seen it before.  
-One of the best. It's a Lamborghini.- Lambo giggled: -Sounds like my name.  
-Oh, I never ever noticed.- Reborn replied, then his warm hand perched on Lambo's leg, a tiny bit over his knee.  
They travelled in silence for almost twenty minutes, and Reborn moved his hand only to shift gears, then the car pulled over in front of a really elegant restaurant. Lambo waited for Reborn to come and open the car door at his side, not because he was feeling like a princess but because he was convinced that he was going to fall at the first step without proper support.  
The hitman let the maître led them to a table at one corner, with a wonderful sight on the garden, then he asked: -What do you think? Do you like this place?  
-Reborn, it's... it's... isn't it a bit too much for me?  
-If you don't like it, we can go somewhere else. We'll find a place you like.  
-No! No, I don't mean that, it's...- Lambo swallowed and chased his tears away. Reborn respectfully waited, and the waiter bringing the entrée and two chalices of sparkling wine allowed him to enlarge his thinking a bit more. At last, after the toast and a sip of wine, Lambo said: -It seems so strange. I've been loving you since... tch, I think since forever, and now I'm here with you in a chic restaurant and you're treating me so good, it's... it's like I died and went to Heaven.  
-I love you too, Lambo. More than you think.- Reborn smiled and started to eat. After a while, Lambo began his entrée as well, copying Reborn's movements to get it right and eating with his mouth close as if Xanxus was glaring at him.

-Hey, honey.- Tsuna called from the doorstep of the living room.  
-Wait a second, dear, I'm...  
-Hayato.- Gokudera looked up and he almost got a nosebleed. Tsuna was leaning against the wall, naked except a really small towel around his waist.  
-Nothing, I'll do it tomorrow.- Gokudera cooed, closing the laptop and throwing his glasses on the coffee table. Tsuna got close to him and kneeled in front of him; he was still wet for the shower and he smelled like soap. His hands ran to the buckle of Gokudera's belt and opened it; he asked: -Since when we're not home alone?  
-Too much...- Gokudera answered, while his virility was being set free from the clothes' cage. Tsuna bent forward and took it in his mouth; Gokudera's fingers entangled in his mane, guiding his movements. Tsuna loved when his husband did that: under the touch of his hands, he always felt sure of himself. He sucked with more passion, making sure he was using a lot of saliva, then he got up and let the towel fall. Gokudera's hand ran to caress him, and Tsuna sat on his lap.  
Confident because he had already prepared himself with a lot of lube, he went down on his virility, slowly, tasting every millimetre of the penetration. Gokudera grabbed his hips and let out a slow moan of pleasure; Tsuna bent over him and kissed him, then he said: -We have to gain back the time lost...- Gokudera, still holding him by his hips, pushed him up, then pulled him down. Tsuna grasped his shoulders and rolled his head back, moving his pelvis, still helped by Gokudera's hands. It took him very little to reach the orgasm, but while he let himself fall on his husband's shoulder he was sure of one thing: many more would come, that very night.  
And God bless Reborn that had taken Lambo away.


	31. Electric Shock

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reborn and Lambo arrive at Reborn's place and they see what happens.  
> It turns out it's a lot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi minna!  
> Thank you so much for your support, I think we're about to end this journey... /distant sobs from the bakstage/  
> A new one is just beginning, cause I'll soon be publishing Skull's backstory. I don't like to brag, but so far it seems to me that it's coming out quite good.  
> The title will be "Innocent Boy", if you all want to drop by there as well.  
> Meanwhile, there still will be six or seven chapters of this one, and your thirst for RL, XS and any other ship will be gladly cured.  
> Thank you all so much, please leave kudos or comments if you like this chapter as well!

When Lambo and Reborn got out of the restaurant, it was dark outside.  
-Starry night.- Lambo said, looking up. There were so many stars that he felt dizzy.  
-It was a windy day, it chased the mist away.- Reborn answered. They stood still for a while under the starry sky, looking up at the Milky Way, then Reborn put an arm around Lambo's waist, gently.  
-Lambo, do you want to stay here for a bit? Does it relax you?  
-It does, but I would get too cold, maybe it's better if we...- Lambo stopped and stiffened.  
-I told you, no one's forcing us to do anything. We can even make a TV series marathon.  
-What about Disney movies?- Lambo one-upped.  
-No way.  
-Too bad.- Lambo turned to face Reborn and put his arms around the hitman's neck: -Well then, we'll see what happens.- he was shivering, not only for the cold, and his movements were rigid. Reborn slightly bent over him and brushed his mouth with his. Gently, with a seducing slowness, he opened it with his tongue; Lambo relaxed in his arms, and his muscular body adhered against the hitman's more slender one. He was nervous, but that contact made it clear that Lambo wasn't even against the idea of making love.  
Reborn caressed his back with slow, languid movements, then whispered on his lips: -Shall we go now?- Lambo nodded.  
Reborn made a sign to the parking supervisor, who spoke into a small microphone; less than a minute after, the hitman's Lamborghini was pulling over next to the entrance to the restaurant.  
They got on board, in complete silence, and to ease the embarrassment Reborn turned on the radio on a station that only broadcast classical music. An Allegro Vivace filled the car.  
-Is this Mozart?- Lambo asked.  
-Yes. 41st Symphony. I didn't know you liked classical music.- Reborn replied.  
-It's not that I purposely listen to it, but I can recognize Mozart.  
-Do you like it?- Lambo shuddered: -Yeah, I think so.  
-Maybe someday I could take you to a concert.  
-Reborn, I'm a virgin.- Lambo said abruptly, out of context.  
-I supposed so, Lambo, you don't have to worry...- Reborn replied.  
-I mean a total virgin. You're the first person I ever touched that way.- the hitman fell silent for a long time, unsure about how to reply. Not that it changed anything by his perspective, but he had expected Lambo to have had at least a few intercourses with some girls. He used to change partners as quick as normal people change their underwear, but he had had so many that, statistically, at least one that was willing to skip the due passages should have dated him.  
-Do you trust me?- he asked after a while.  
-Of course I do.- Lambo answered without any hesitation. Reborn searched for his hand and entangled his fingers to his, but he said no more.  
After a couple of minutes they reached a small but well kept house, barely out of the borders of Namimori; Reborn pushed a button on a remote control and the garage's slider started to silently rise. The hitman parked the car, then he turned to look at Lambo. The younger man was looking at him, and in his eyes there was a suicidal decision: -I want to make love with you, Reborn.  
-Alright, but don't say it like I suggested we both jump from a bridge.- Reborn replied with a half smirk. Lambo's mouth curved into a blinding smile.  
Reborn unfastened his seatbelt and got out of the car; Lambo followed him, a bit shyly, inside the house. They took off their shoes in silence, then Reborn invited Lambo to sit on the couch. He sat and looked at the hitman who was moving across the small living room. It was almost drunkening, to see him in his personal environment: he emitted such a calm and a security that were even bigger than usual, and in the few minutes it took him to put on a Dixie music disc and to pour two drinks Lambo found himself in a curious state of extreme waiting and pleasant calm. How those two feelings could live with each other, he couldn't tell, but so it was and, at least for the time being, he could say he was feeling great.  
Reborn gave him a small glass and Lambo asked: -What is it?  
-Bailey's. I don't know if you ever drank it, but I think you should like it.- Lambo took the Glass and Reborn gently hit it with his, causing them too tingle.  
They drank, then Lambo asked: -What are you drinking, instead?  
-Anima Nera. It's a licorice liquor.- Reborn sat beside Lambo and brushed his hair with his fingers, sweetly touching their tips.  
-Until a while ago I would have said that the name (author's note: “black soul”) fits you.- Lambo commented, wetting his lip with a small sip of Bailey's which, he had to admit, really was of his liking. Reborn smiled and asked: -And now, what would you say?  
-I'm not so sure anymore. If your soul is black, at least it's one of those blacks that seem shiny.- Reborn put his glass down on the coffee table and took Lambo by the back of his neck, pulling him close. While he kissed him, he took the glass from his hand and put it down as well. Lambo let himself be pushed back against the couch's cushions and answered to the kiss, shoving his hands beneath the hitman's jacket; his thin abdomen was tense and solid at the touch, and his pose revealed a certain urge, even if the killer didn't invade his personal space. Lambo almost felt moved by the respect Reborn was showing him, in that subtle, almost imperceptible way he was getting used to recognize.  
Lambo pulled Reborn closer, enjoying the sensation of having the situation under his control; but while his hands were wandering along the hitman's body, he realized that it was something else. He wasn't driving the situation, yet he had the power to stop it: Reborn was skilfully guiding his movements, and Lambo was just giving his go while by while. It was a strange situation, like sitting in a car that is being driven by a person of complete trust and closing your eyes, trying to imagine the road from the shifts and the noised; Lambo had tried to do so some times, when he was a child, just for fun, and each time he had found himself scared, grabbing at the seat, determined not to close his eyes again, not even for a split second. But there, in that very moment, with Reborn, he felt like he could face an hour of sharp turns in the total darkness, vigilant and awake and sure that nothing was to happen, except the end of the road and a wonderful destination.  
He took courage and put a hand between Reborn's legs, he caressed his erection as if he was modelling it in clay with the palm of his hand; the satisfaction he felt hearing the hitman's moan, that broke in a warm huff against his lips, was totalizing and invigorating. With impatient fingers, he undid Reborn's belt and unzipped his pants, then he put his hand inside.  
Reborn's hands grasped at Lambo's gluteus in an almost desperate grip, his mouth looked for his neck and sucked it, then the hitman whispered: -Shall we go to the bedroom?- Lambo hesitated. That was the point of no return, and he perfectly understood that. He deeply inhaled the smell of Reborn's hair, rediscovering that trust that he always felt towards him, and firmly answered: -Yes.- Reborn lifted him up, pulling with his hands behind his back, then he took him by the hand and pulled him standing. He led him for a few step over a small hallway towards an elegant, minimalistic bedroom, where there were only a wide bed, a bedside table and a wardrobe. Lambo followed, and Reborn turned to face him and put his hands under his jacket, on his shoulders. While he caressed him, his black eyes found his. They were shining, and his voice was almost unrecognisable in the shiver that shook it when he said: -Thank you, Lambo.  
-For what?- he asked, puzzled.  
-For everything.- Reborn's hands circled his deltoids, found his shoulder bones and the jacket fell to the floor in a shiver of fabric. Lambo loosened the hitman's necktie, then took it over his head. He unbuttoned his dress shirt one button at a time, taking his time to look at his chest that was emerging from under the fabric, making an extremely harmonic contrast between the olive colour of his skin and the very light blue of his shirt.  
While Reborn undressed him too, with almost reverent touches, Lambo felt moved. With a laughter that was half a sigh, he said: -I can't believe it's true.  
-It is.- Reborn reassured him, then he leaned forward and his warm arms circled Lambo's torso, and he turned his head to find his lips.  
Reborn gently pushed him until Lambo found himself with the bed behind him, then he stepped forward. The mattress hit Lambo's legs with a silent thud, and he sat, accompanied by Reborn's touch. Their lips separated, and the killer's brushed his collar bone, tingling it with the tip of his tongue and with his breath, then they went down on. Reborn's thumbs barely brushed Lambo's nipples, then they went down too, to his belt; they slowly undid it, ready to stop if Lambo was to hesitate, but he didn't flinch. He thought he knew what was going to happen, even if he still couldn't believe it.  
But, it was Reborn's head the one he felt under his hands while a wet, welcoming warmth surrounded his virility. He tried to think at something else, but he realized with a jump of terror that he couldn't; he yelled: -Reborn, I'm coming, move over!- the killer didn't move and Lambo ejaculated in his mouth, feeling embarrassed as he never was.  
He fell on the bed, his hands on his face. He could feel his cheeks boiling.  
The mattress gently bent beside his head and Reborn, close, oh so close, asked: -May I kiss you? Or do you want me to wash my mouth before?- Lambo spied between his fingers.  
Reborn was there, above him, and on his face there was that half smile of him, so seducing. He was leaning on the mattress with one hand, and with the other he started to caress his abdomen; his counterpoised pose made him even sexier. Lambo counted back from three, and at the zero he took his hands off his face and grabbed his; he pulled him close and pushed his tongue in his mouth, tasting his own flavour with a slight shiver.  
Reborn answered the kiss with passion, while trying to take off his own trousers with one hand. Lambo raised a hand to help him, and Reborn grabbed it so that it went under his underwear as well. Lambo slightly moaned and together they took off those useless clothes; Reborn's virility, now freed, brushed against Lambo's, that shivered while it gained back its lost hardness.  
Reborn's knee pressed against Lambo's inner thigh, and he lifted his pelvis and took off his trousers and underwear, then Reborn moved him to make him lie straight on the bed, then he inverted their position with a shove of his hips. Lambo felt lost and panicking: as much as his decision was strong, he wasn't sure he could do it in that position. Discussing the matter with Fran, he had more or less understood that the first times were a bit difficult, with the muscles that struggle to relax, and so he had hoped to stay happily on his back, maybe with a pillow under his hips, in what Fran claimed to be the most comfortable position.  
Reborn stopped kissing him and pushed him to sit up; regardless his anxiety, Lambo liked the touch of his virility between his cheeks. Reborn pushed his pelvis up and Lambo went with his movement, leaning with both hands at the sides of his head to keep his balance.  
Reborn turned aside, he took one of the pillows that were against the header of the bed and shoved it behind his own hips. Lambo widened his eyes and asked: -What...?  
-Do you still want to do it, even like this?- Reborn asked, while his hand massaged Lambo's virility, -I thought that maybe you would feel more comfortable.- Lambo stared at him, at loss for words.  
-I can guide you through it.- Reborn went on; now he sounded unsure, -If you prefer, I can prepare myself.- he proposed, while a barely perceivable blush tinted his cheekbones. He escaped Lambo's stare, with the excuse of looking for the lube. Lambo wasn't able to escape his own muteness, and Reborn said: -If you prefer, we can use a condom. I don't mind, the choice is yours. Lambo?  
-What if I hurt you?  
-I'll tell you and we stop for a bit. So, condom? With or without?  
-With.- Lambo answered after a small hesitation. Reborn nodded, as if he was expecting it, and put one on his chest. He opened the lid of the lube with his thumb; Lambo took courage and held out a hand. Reborn hesitated a second, then he squeezed some on his fingers: it was viscous and oddly warm. A vein was pumping quick on the hitman's neck, while he turned his head to follow Lambo's movements while he lied down beside him.  
-Shall I go?- Lambo asked, -Are you sure?  
-Go.- Reborn confirmed with a smile, putting an arm behind his neck. His hand perched lightly on his head, while Lambo's went down.  
Feeling like he had died and went to Heaven, Lambo put a finger inside him. Reborn was very tight and very warm, and his skin was tense: -Am I hurting you?- Lambo asked.  
-No, you aren't. Move it a bit, in and out and then at the sides.- Reborn instructed him, while his hand went down to touch his testicles. Lambo obeyed, and little by little Reborn's breath got heavier while his flesh started to loosen, faster than Lambo could guess. He felt like there was room for something more and asked: -One more finger?  
-Oh, yes, please.- Reborn replied in a sigh, then he said: -Head to the front.- Lambo put another finger in, slowly, careful to catch any contraction of his muscles, then he bent both fingers. Reborn let out a moan of pleasure and his virility shivered, brushing Lambo's inner arm. His mouth, warm and wet, searched for Lambo's, and his moans brushed his palate, a bit suffocated.  
-Do it, Lambo, do it now.- Reborn whispered, and Lambo got up in his knees. He put himself between his spread legs and looked down. The crack between Reborn's cheeks was shining with lube. A tearing noise brought him back to reality, just in time to see Reborn's fingers unrolling a condom on his erection. To be honest, Lambo had already forgotten about it, and Reborn's gesture convinced him a little bit more that he could totally trust that man, put his own life in his hands. For a few seconds, while Reborn massaged his virility to spread some more lube on it, he asked himself if he could tell him to invert their roles, then he realized that he would have been nervous even knowing how much Reborn cared about him. He put himself against his hole and looked in the hitman's eyes, waiting for permission. Reborn nodded and took him by his hips, pulling him in. Lambo sunk easily, without finding any trouble, and Reborn managed to say: -Fuck, if I knew I would have done it before...  
-Do you... do you like it?- Lambo asked.  
-No, I'm just saying this to convince you to bottom next time.- Reborn jokingly answered. He pushed him back and then pulled him again, then Lambo started to take the initiative.  
He put the hitman's legs on his shoulders and started to push, gently at first: even if there hadn't been any troubles during the penetration, he could feel he was still tight. If he had to guess, considering Fran's lessons as well, it was not a very smooth channel, and the last thing Lambo wanted was to hurt Reborn, after he had treated him with so much kindness. When the touch of his flesh started to seem easier, Lambo speeded up; he vaguely thought that he was doing all the work by himself, when Reborn's legs slipped from his shoulder and the hitman circled his waist with them; he took him by his shoulders and started to go along with his movements, his breath shorter and the tip of his penis shining, touching both's bellies, wetting both just a bit with tiny shadows of fluid.  
-Can I try one thing?- Lambo asked, -If you don't like it, you can stop me.  
-Try it.- Reborn answered. Lambo moved his knees further, put a hand under Reborn's back and pushed, changing the angle to press forward. If that was the magic spot, and if geometry wasn't an opinion, Reborn should... -OH!- the killer cried out.  
-Do you want me to stop?- Lambo asked, worried.  
-If you stop, I'll shoot you!- Reborn answered, his eyes closed. His hands ran to grab the header of the bed, and Lambo started to push again.  
-Oh, fuck...- the killer said, then louder: -FUCK! Don't stop, don't you dare to sto... AH!- Reborn ejaculated in a whole, abundant gush that stained his chest, and Lambo reached the orgasm as well, astonished, incredulous he could have been the cause of Reborn's loss of control.  
They stood still, one leaning over the other, trying to gain back a normal rhythm of breath, then Reborn whispered: -Take it out slowly.- Lambo helped Reborn to lie down, he held the condom and gently pulled out; Reborn's flesh had a brief shock around him.  
-The restroom is on the right.- the killer said quietly, still with his eyes closed. Lambo got up, went out of the room and cautiously opened a door. He checked that it was a restroom and not, just saying, a weapon deposit or a mine camp, and he went in; he took off the condom, knotted it and threw it away, then he rapidly washed himself. Reborn came in, took a towel from the sink and used it to dry Lambo's penis; the younger turned back and kissed him.  
-Shall I wait for you in the bedroom or in the living room?- he asked, caressing his cheek.  
-In the bedroom, I already took our glasses there.- Reborn answered gently. Lambo nodded and went out of the restroom, allowing him some privacy.  
He went back to the bedroom, he sat on the bad and waited; after a few minutes, Reborn came in as well, still naked, and asked: -How are you?  
-It's not that I never got the chance.- Lambo said.  
-What?  
-...it's that no one was you. I wanted you, I have always wanted you.- Reborn smiled and went closer, lifted his face and covered it with kisses, then he lied at his side.  
-And you, how are you, Reborn?  
-I'm so good, Lambo.- the hitman answered, -I couldn't wish for more.- Lambo cocooned against his chest, and little by little he allowed himself to fall asleep.


	32. Ray of Sun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The night goes on for Lambo and Reborn.  
> Reborn thinks about himself and the boy he's lying with.  
> I swear Squalo and Xanxus' wedding will come soon!

Lambo had fallen asleep in Reborn's arms, and the killer stayed awake to caress his head.  
He was still surprised by himself: he had vaguely thought that Lambo could feel less anxious as a top, but he hadn't taken the conscious decision of being bottom before the very moment he had put the pillow under his back.  
He smiled, tenderly kissing Lambo's forehead, and he asked himself what was that boy doing to him. He had had many partners, before the curse and after as well, growing up for the second time, but no one had caught him so much. Not Luce, with whom he had had a painful distance relationship while he was trapped in his baby form and she rapidly grew up, gave birth to Aria and then died. Not Bianchi, who had been the one to stay by his side for the longest time, the one who more than anyone else had hold on, stubborn, giving up on everything to wait for him to grow up, before she realized that their relationship had become too weird to go on. Not Romeo, with whom he had lived a torrid summer and who was the first person he had thought to set up with; for a long time, the killer had thought he would have always seen Romeo as his twin soul, taken away from him by a cruel fate, but now he had to rethink it. Not even with him Reborn had felt that sensation of finally being back home that he was feeling right now, there with Lambo in his arms, tranquilly sleeping against his chest.  
He looked at his face, barely enlightened by the dim light of the lamppost pouring through the curtains, and he thought back at the first time he had seen him as an adult, during the battle for the Rings: he remembered thinking an old Italian joke, “CBCR”, acronym for “Grow up pretty and I'll come again” (author's note: Cresci Bene Che Ripasso), just to archive the matter without any second thought. After all, Lambo was a child, and until he hadn't started to grow up he had never raised his interest again, apart from some painful throbbing when the Ten Years Bazooka brought back to them his teenage version, so similar to Romeo and yet so different. Where Romeo was arrogant, Lambo was shy. Where Romeo was bold, Lambo was a crybaby. And yet, Lambo was surrounded by an aura of seduction that Romeo missed: it was just his being so insecure and fragile even if many wanted him. There was no arrogance in him, not even a tiny strain of his childhood megalomania. Reborn wondered if it was his influence to make him so: for sure he never stepped back from belittling him, in particular when he was already a late teenager and Reborn had found out that it was a pretty nice defence. Repeating him that he wasn't anything special, he was telling so to himself as well, this way avoiding the conflictual situation of hooking up with a minor, which even if they looked the same age couldn't be considered morally right. He wanted to be sure that Lambo was in the condition of giving his consent before even treating him good.  
The thought stroke him: Reborn realized he had been low-key waiting for Lambo to grow up and he felt lost. A vague sense of panic took him at the thought of having lived almost a third of his life waiting for someone, only to let his defences fall afterwards. At that point, Lambo could have done anything of him. Reborn asked himself how he could react in front of a betrayal, or simply his love getting weaker, and looked at Lambo's asleep face as if he was looking for evidence.  
In that very moment, two green eyes opened and replied to his look.  
-Hi...- Lambo whispered, smiling.  
-Ciaossu.- Reborn replied, moving his hair from his face.  
-Sorry, I fell asleep...  
-No problem.- Lambo stretched out, holding out his arms; he circled Reborn's neck with them and pulled himself to kiss him. The hitman forgot all his doubts when Lambo's lips touched his own: he was taking a risk, of course, but it was worth it. And the eventuality of Lambo betraying him was almost non-existent, while he would manage to earn his love day by day.  
That was, for sure, a challenge he was willing to try.  
He answered the kiss with passion, and he was dumbfolded when Lambo pushed his pelvis against his hip: he was hard again and he seemed to be ready for a second round. Reborn shifted and tried to ignore the discomfort in his lower belly that accompanied his move, as to remind him that his body could not completely agree. After all, it was the first time for him as well, as a bottom: he wasn't used to it and he sure couldn't expect to stand for two rounds.  
But, he said to himself while Lambo pushed his legs open with his thigh, he was sure he would have obliged. Lambo was adorable, and his arousal was contagious: in that moment, Reborn was completely sure that, if Lambo was to ask for one of his kidneys, he would have gladly given it to him.  
Then, Lambo interrupted the kiss and whispered: -Can I be bottom this time?  
-Of course you can.- Reborn replied, hiding his relief. What he just couldn't hide, instead, was the nervous jump of his virility, already eager to get in the game.  
-It seems that you like the idea.- Lambo said, then he hid his face against the hitman's chest.  
-Don't be embarrassed, Lambo.- Reborn encouraged him, holding in a giggle. That boy really was a joy. An enormous one.  
Reborn pushed his pelvis out and turned him on his back, then he shoved himself between his legs. He brushed his virility against his, stealing a sigh of pleasure from him.  
Then, his phone rang.  
Reborn jumped on his feet.  
-What's happening?- Lambo asked.  
-Sorry, it's an emergency.- Reborn cut it short, then he searched his trousers for the phone. He had silenced it, apart from a single channel for emergency: if someone, if Tsuna was calling him there, something bad must have happened.  
-Tsuna. Speak.  
-It's Gokudera.  
-What happened?  
-Are you keeping him all night long, are you?  
-Yes, don't worry about Lambo, he's safe. Get to the point.  
-There's no point, I just wanted to make sure that he won't be coming back before tomorrow.  
-Gokudera! This is an emergency line!  
-And that's why I called here, so we don't risk to ruin Lambo's brain forever. It's already not in good shape to begin with... We are about to do a thing and I don't want him to come in while we're doing it.  
-What would that be?  
-Not telling you, I'm not giving you any idea. You're dating my son.- Reborn closed his eyes. He was about to burst out into a hysterical laugh.  
-Alright. I'm bringing him back tomorrow after breakfast, but if you call me once again please note that I'll leave everything to come and put a bullet in your head.- Reborn hung up. Lambo was sitting on the edge of the bed and was looking at him, worried.  
-Nothing bad.- Reborn reassured him, -Gokudera wanted to be sure to have the house empty all night.  
-Ah, and here goes my sex instinct...- Lambo replied, blushing.  
-Are you sure?- Reborn asked, smirking. He put the phone down on the bedside table and put a knee between Lambo's legs, then he leaned forward and licked his neck.  
-To be honest, now that you make me think about it... ah!- Lambo fell back and Reborn moved his legs to make him lie straight. He then laid upon him and started to kiss him, while his hands trailed on his body, explored it and adored it.  
-Do you feel ready?- he gently asked, brushing his cheek with his lips.  
-Yes.- Lambo answered firmly. Reborn leaned towards the bedside table, took the lube and squeezed a generous dose on his fingers, then he brushed his adorable partner's butt.  
-Oh my God, I can't believe it, we're doing it.- Lambo let out, covering his face with both hands.  
-If you changed your mind...- Reborn began, but he was interrupted: -No, do it, please, I'm going crazy!- Reborn smiled and kissed him. He pushed a finger in and he thought he was about to go mad. It had been months, since their first kiss in the late playhouse at the park, that he had hoped to get to that moment; and now that he was there, he meant to enjoy the moment as much as he could.  
He let the finger sink into Lambo: he had put a lot of lube and it was really easy. Then he moved it slowly, in and out and around, tasting Lambo's superficial and heavy breathing. -How is it?- he asked.  
-It's... strange. But I like it.- he answered quietly.  
-May I?- Reborn asked, pressing against his skin with his ring finger. Lambo nodded, at short with his voice, and Reborn made room for it. When he felt he was soft around him, he moved his fingers in search for the prostate; he understood he had found it when Lambo widened his eyes and grabbed his shoulders, while his breath broke in his throat: -Oh, God, what's that? I... Ga...ma...nnn...  
-Shush, Lambo, don't worry. Nothing to be afraid of, let yourself go. Trust me.- as if he had said a magical word, Lambo arched his back and let out a loud moan. Reborn insisted on the same spot, taking the occasion to push another finger in: Lambo would come, but he wasn't willing to give up on the idea of making love.  
-Oh, God, REBORN!- Lambo loudly called, -WHAT?  
-It's just an orgasm, Lambo, let yourself go.- Reborn said, kissing his sweaty cheek. He was an awesome show.  
Lambo came in an abundant flow, letting out another loud moan, then he relaxed against the mattress. Reborn asked: -Do you want to rest for a while or we can go on?  
-Reborn, after this one...- Lambo took some deep breaths, -After this one, you can make of me whatever the hell you want.  
-Oh, don't tempt me, sweetheart.- Reborn answered in a seducing huff, putting himself between his thighs. He held out a hand to take another bit of lube and a thought stroke him: -Do you want to use a condom this time as well?  
-No, listen, who cares, it's not like I can get pregnant.- Lambo hysterically replied, -No, wait, maybe put it on. Or don't, I...  
-I'm putting it on, we'll see next time.- Reborn decided. He took one, put it on and covered it with lube, then he positioned against Lambo's hole.  
-Shall I?- Lambo circled his waist with his legs, -Go.  
-Don't be reckless and don't pull me, I don't want to hurt you.- Reborn warned him. Lambo slightly relaxed and stared into his eyes. Reborn waited for him to nod and, once he did, he started to push, as slowly as he could.  
He let Lambo all the time needed for him to get used to the intrusion, opposing to his mute requests, which came with him pulling with both hands and legs. He moved slowly and little by little, in small languid shoves, until he felt him loosen; as soon as the penetration became easier, he lifted up his eyes on Lambo's face.  
The smile he received in exchange convinced him that he would have had no regrets if he was to die in that very moment. He was as splendid as a supernova, and Reborn found himself to be oddly grateful to Checkerface for allowing him to start again: without the curse, Lambo would have never taken him into consideration and Reborn would have never discovered what it meant to be purely, completely happy.  
He loved him sweetly, looking in his eyes and feeling small, small and defenceless over that magnificent creature's naked body that was trembling for him; defenceless and however proud of himself, because with every second that passed he was proving that he was worthy to make him feel good. At every push, at every one of Lambo's moans, Reborn undressed of his rudeness to find a rhythm that was finally his own. A slow and harmonic melody, without any useless demonstrations of ability that only served as a self show, a blues with the tunes of hope that raised in the warm air of a summer night, accompanying the cicadas' songs and mixing with it until it almost became a part of the sounds of the nature, a music that is a part of the Earth and that from Earth itself seems to come.  
-Oh, Lambo...- Reborn huffed, while the feelings grabbed his chest, -Lambo, I love you.  
-I love you too, Reborn!- was the answer, quick, stuck between two breaths. Lambo's fingers sunk into Reborn's arms, who pulled up his pelvis and shoved, this time listening to Lambo's prayers for him to push harder, harder, harder.  
Lambo's breath became even heavier, his cheeks turned red; his back arched and his lips let out a liberating cry. He came again, and Reborn with him.  
It was like a hit in full chest: if the orgasm he had had at the end of their previous intercourse had been strong, this one seemed to be even stronger. Reborn fell over Lambo's body, and the boy hugged him, and he waited there until he was sure he wasn't going to faint. He put down a hand, pressed the base of the condom and took it out of Lambo, then he gently kissed him on his lips.  
-I'll be right back.- he said, then he got up and reached the restroom. While he was washing himself, he caught his own reflection in the mirror: his eyes were shining, a vague blush was colouring his cheeks and he had lost that serious frown he always had.  
On an impulse, he mentally noted to call Viola: only one thing would have made him happier, but before starting with the preparatives he wanted to have her approval. He wanted Lambo to be happy, that every single day of him on Earth was filled with joy and smiles, and before asking him what he had in mind he wanted to make sure that no dramatic family crisis would have followed.  
He rinsed and went back to the bedroom, where Lambo was waiting for him, drowsy and lying on one side. Reborn kneeled beside the bed and asked: -How are you?  
-If I'm dead, don't you dare to relive me. I'm in Heaven.  
-You ass-licker.- Reborn caressed the tip of his nose with a finger, smiling.  
-Don't give me strange ideas, I'm to sleepy to go on.- Lambo replied, blushing.  
-Oh, look at him, a virgin until ten minutes ago and now he wants to do everything kinky...  
-I-Pin didn't want me to, you know?- Lambo asked.  
-She didn't want what?- Reborn asked.  
-She didn't want me hooking up with you. She said that you're too old for me anyway, and that we would never manage to get along. She was afraid I would suffer because of you.  
-I can't promise you that everyday will be like this, Lambo.- Reborn replied, seriously, -We'll argue, because at this point it's a tradition for us to argue once in a while. Maybe we'll throw stuff at each other, and we'll have to hide the grenades to minimize the damages...- Lambo laughed, his eyes filled with tears.  
-But I can promise you one thing,- Reborn went on, -I won't allow us to go to sleep while we're still angry. Whatever will cross our path, we will face it together. And we'll make up everytime that it will be needed.- Lambo smiled again, and Reborn felt as if someone was squeezing his heart in his chest.  
Lambo got up to use the restroom himself and Reborn told him: -I've left a toothbrush for you on the sink.- Lambo nodded and Reborn lied on the bed, beneath the sheets that were still warm of their bodies; he said to himself that he had wasted his life pursuing happiness, without knowing that it was hiding in the smile of your loved one. His mind, at this point exhausted and full of the experimented emotions, suggested him the image of Skull, totally naked, kneeling and stating that sentence aloud, and he almost laughed out loud.  
He got up to take some underwear and a pyjama, thinking about the fact that little by little everything was falling into the right places: for all his life he had always been careful, when things started to go the right way. Tense, in alert, when everything was calm Reborn waited for the upcoming problem. He remembered a long cold winter when the rain just didn't seem to stop falling; the rare days of sun weren't enough to dry the streets, not to mention the bones, and Bianchi had happened to say that those days sounded like pauses. She had compared the season to a long illness that sometimes allowed some good days, that are melancholy lived with the conscience that tomorrow you won't be cured, and Reborn had found the metaphor perfect, not only for the never ending rain, but for his own life too.  
But now, he felt cured.  
Lambo came back from the restroom while Reborn was putting on a pair of silk trousers and said: -Ah, look! I would have bet that Mr. “My travel suit is an Armani” slept with a silk pyjama!  
-Aha, you asshole. There's one for you as well, sleep in it one night and you'll forget all those shitty polyester things, not to be worn near flames, that you usually put on.  
-Oh, what a honour!- Lambo joked, catching the pyjama that Reborn was throwing at him. Then, the hitman asked: -I usually keep a glass of water on my bedside table at night, do you want one as well?  
-Oh... yes, please.- Reborn went to the kitchen to fill the glasses, and when he came back he found Lambo already set up in bed. The pyjama covered him fully, only the smallest portion of his chest was showing, and Reborn thought that he was the most wonderful vision he had ever had.  
Yes, he told to himself while he put the glass on the bedside table beside Lambo, he just couldn't lie to himself anymore: he loved him with every fibre of his being. He put his glass down as well, put the lube away in the drawer and lied down, then turned to hug Lambo.  
His hair had a vague, more masculine than usual smell, his body was solid under the soft silk of the pyjama and it seemed to be made just to join Reborn's. Lambo's breath had a distant scent of peppermint, and everything was so perfect that Reborn finally felt at peace. Forgotten any kind of remorse, any worry, his whole universe was lying in his arms, was wearing his pyjama and had just given himself to him.  
-Goodnight, Reborn.- Lambo said, raising his chin to receive a kiss, which he got.  
-Goodnight, Lambo.- Reborn turned off the light and cocooned a little bit more in Lambo's hug.


	33. Promised Forecast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fran isn't answering the phone.  
> Skull freaks out.  
> Belphegor too.  
> Basil unlearns how to drive.  
> Dino and Hibari speak honestly.

-VOI! Come on, Belphegor, don't be too happy, you're making everyone uncomfortable!  
-Fckyou.- the Prince shoved his face in the cushion. Squalo stared at him and wondered if it had been the right move, not telling him about Fran's arrival and definitive stay. He looked at him while Belphegor took his phone, checked all the social media and the chats and then threw it again on the couch. Of course Fran hadn't written to him, his plane was probably about to land.  
-I'm making popcorn!- Lussuria stated, getting up from the couch.  
-You'll miss the scene with the signs.- Belphegor muttered, his eyes empty on the TV screen, where Love Actually was being aired. Sat on a sofa a bit apart, Levi put down the book he was reading and pretended to beat his balls with a hammer. Squalo managed not to laugh, then he let Lussuria drag him outside the living room.  
-Squ chan, I'm starting to be really worried!- the man told him, while he dragged him towards the kitchen. Squalo's phone dinged and he checked it: -VOI, don't worry, he'll be fine in an hour or so.  
-Don't be silly, he'll be fine only when he'll be able to hug Fran again.- Lussuria replied. Squalo showed his teeth in a sadistic smile and showed him the phone.  
Under the name of the sender, “Basil – Cedef” there was an only message: “Plane landed, coming”. Lussuria covered his mouth with his hands: -He's bringing Fran here? Fran is coming back?  
-Yes, and he's back for good. I wanted to surprise Belphegor.  
-And you didn't tell me!- Lussuria complained quietly, slapping his arm.  
-VOI! No, I didn't, because you would have made that face precisely!  
-Which face?  
-That face!- Squalo turned him around to allow him to see his reflection on the metal door of the fridge. His cellphone dinged again, twice, and Squalo read the messages while Lussuria giggled. He said, purposely faking to be worried: -Oh, it's Basil again.  
-Did something happen?- Lussuria asked, alarmed, spying from over Squalo's shoulder, then he went: -Oh?- and he blushed.  
Basil's messages were two: “Is Lussuria at home?” and, right after that, “Asking for a friend.”  
-Are you two mocking me?- Lussuria asked.  
-We're not, you idiot. Now make those popcorn then go make yourself pretty.- Squalo said. Lussuria opened his mouth to reply, when some heavy steps resounded in the hall.  
Heavy steps and a sigh, then some deep breaths. The two men spied out of the door like two old gossiping ladies and they saw Belphegor, facing the wall, the phone in his hand. The Prince looked at the screen, touched something and spoke: -Fran, why aren't you answering me? Please, I'm worried.-a pause, -I miss you like crazy.- Lussuria and Squalo abruptly covered their mouths with their hands and managed not to laugh aloud at the Bloody Prince in love.

-Dino, is this your final answer?- Viola asked.  
-Yes, final answer.- he answered.  
-Alright, give me a few more details so I can start searching.- Viola let the remote control down and she took a piece of paper and a pencil; during the never ending introduction, where Dino had told her exactly what he and Hibari meant to do, she had been zapping through the channels so not to die of boredom. He had used at least ten times the words that were needed. Sometimes Dino could be exasperating, it was a wonder how Hibari had managed not to kill him yet.  
-So, Kyoya said at least two rooms. No matter the view, in a place where it's easy to reach Vongola Mansion but not too close.  
-Independent house? So there will be no neighbours.  
-Perfect, maybe with a little garden.  
-Do you want me to call a gardener to set up a small pond like the one he has in Namimori?  
-He said he'll do it himself.  
-Perfect. Range of price?  
-He said it doesn't matter. The only thing he wants is silence.  
-I'll call an agency to have some noise-absorbing panels?- Viola proposed, glancing at the TV. Shit, the circus. With all the channels she could stop on, she had stopped on the fucking circus. Goddamn clowns. Viola hated clowns with all of her heart.  
She held out a hand to grab the remote and turn it off, but Skull got it first.  
-Viola, you're the best!- Dino said on the phone. She almost didn't hear him. Skull was trembling, and his face was frowned into an expression of deep rage.  
-I'll call you back, Dino.- she said, hanging up, -Skull, are you alright?  
-Not the circus. Everything. But not the circus.- he answered in a dark voice. Viola suddenly felt vulnerable, sat down in front of him who was standing and looking at her from up down. She got up and stepped back, her defences high: -What are you...  
-I HATE CIRCUS, ALRIGHT?!- Skull yelled.  
-I think it sucks as well, I was zapping and I let a random channel to take some notes, so calm down, alright?- she quickly said, so not to be interrupted.  
-I don't want to see a circus again in my whole life.- Skull said again, at a bit lower volume.  
-Alright, Skull, don't...  
-People from the circus are horrible. Horrible.- he said, then he burst into tears.

Fran shoved a hand between himself and Basil and pulled the emergency brake with violence.  
The car stopped a metre over the stop sign; a car coming from the perpendicular avoided it for a hair and let out a long horn sound.  
-Basil, no offence, I'm sure you must have learned to drive somehow, but I was hoping I could get home alive.- he said. Basil was squeezing the wheel with both hands and was staring at the road with terrified eyes, scared for the dodged danger.  
-I know, I hope it too.- he answered in a tiny voice. Fran, as a price for having just saved both's asses, entered his mind and read a list of confused thoughts, conversation hypothesis, hottish scenes that could have been nice if they didn't involve... -Lussuria?!- he asked, puzzled.  
-What? Where?- Basil asked, turning to face him. Fran saw his red, lost face and couldn't help laughing. A car, behind them, honked.  
-Go, cross this intersection and pull over for a while. I'll calm you so that we can go on without dying.- Fran said. Basil obeyed, raising a hand in front of the rear mirror as a sign of excuses, then he found an empty parking spot and stopped the car in it. Fran quickly wrote “Just a sec” to Belphegor, feeling guilty for not having listened to his voice message yet, then he put his hands on Basil's head and tried to order his thoughts: -Anyway, just ask him a glass of water. You'll see, he'll do the rest.- he said.  
-Do you think it's enough?- Basil thought. Fran forced his mind to focus on that only.  
-It depends. Do you want to beat a homerun or...?  
-No, that would be too much. I only want to chat with him for a while, maybe exchange phone numbers...  
-Then it's enough. While you chat, you find something you have in common and you ask for his number with the excuse of talking about it.  
-Great idea.- Fran left Basil's head, and the man took a deep breath before starting the car again. Fran said: -Excuse me, I have to listen to a voice message.- he put the phone near his ear, he smiled and blushed. Giggling, he started to write an answer where he announced his upcoming arrival when he finally understood what he had forgotten, a question that had tormented him for all the trip: the charger.  
Fran's phone let out a dying sound and shut up in his hands.

-And... and that's it.- Skull finished, an hour later, torturing his hands. Viola didn't comment, and he went on, looking at her knees instead of her face: -So, I'm sorry if I yelled, before, but I came in here and I saw the circus and everything came back to my mind and...- Viola let out a strangled sigh and Skull looked at her.  
Viola was mortally pale, and her unhealthy complexion was accompanied by a pair of red, puffy eyes. Her mouth, not completely covered by her hand, was distorted in a disgusted smirk.  
Skull felt himself fall into pieces. That was why he had never told her anything, even when she had asked who whipped him as a child, after their brief exchange at Dino's wedding. He had just told her that Reborn had already taken care of them, because he knew that she would have been repulsed by the idea of having an intercourse with someone who had been repeatedly raped, not to mention the wedding, a subject about Skull was only half joking.  
He was in love with her, lost in love, and now he disgusted her.  
-I'm...- she whispered, -I'm sorry, I...- she held out a hand, then she put it back. To Skull, that was a clear sign that she wasn't willing to touch him anymore.  
He got up from the couch and walked as fast as he could to his room: he intended not to leave it for any reason, evermore. He didn't hear Viola calling him and he slammed the door.

Levi had disappeared from the living room and Squalo hadn't come back since he had gone out with Lussuria. Belphegor lied still, looking at the TV that was showing an ad for a completely useless product that would have change the lives only of those idiots who were showing how difficult it was not to make stuff slip from their hands.  
Seriously, if you can't hold stuff for more than three second you better consider consulting a neurologist, not the purchase of a triangular electric broom.  
-Bel chan.- Lussuria called.  
-Nh.- he answered.  
-Are you alright?  
-Fran hates me. I don't know what I've done but he hates me.  
-No, he doesn't, honey?  
-No? I send him sloppy messages, he doesn't answer for ages and then he says “Just a sec”. “Just a sec” my balls, Lussuria, fuck! And then he shut down his phone!  
-Honey, anything could have happened...  
-YOU'RE NOT COMFORTING!  
-I mean, maybe there's no signal, or he forgot to charge it, or...  
-Or he's dead in the gutter, or he's with another man...- the bell rang.  
-Be right back, Bel chan.- Lussuria said, gently patting his head.  
-As you prefer.- Lussuria went out calmly, but as soon as he was out of the Prince's sight he started to run on his tiptoes, grateful to the slippers that were making his steps silent. Oh, shit, the slippers! He couldn't appear in front of Basil in his slippers! That vague interest he could have towards him would have died at the sight of his unicorn-shaped slippers.  
He turned back, and the bell rang again. -VOOOIII, LUSSURIA, GO OPEN THAT FUCKING DOOR!- Squalo thundered from Xanxus' office.  
-Shit. Oh, fuck.- Lussuria took off his slippers and ran to the door with bare foot. He waited on the doorstep for Basil's car to pull over; Fran wasn't able to do the same. He jumped out of the car while it was still moving, he threw himself in the house and he called: -BEL SENPAAAIII!  
-Holy shit...- Lussuria commented, still shocked by the shove he had received when Fran had pushed him out of his way, -He's in a hurry.  
-His phone died while we were in the car.- Basil gently said, -He's been giving all the saints bad names because he couldn't answer his message.  
-Belphegor had already decided that he was dead.- Lussuria giggled, then he asked: -Do you want a glass of water, something to drink...?  
-A glass of water would be perfect, thank you.- Basil replied. And here it was again, his cheerful smile.

Skull hadn't moved from the floor of his bedroom for ten hours straight. He didn't drink, didn't eat, he didn't get up to pee.  
He had just been there, hoping to fall asleep and then never wake up again, but instead of experimenting a pleasant unconsciousness he had found himself more and more aware of his swollen bladder and of the hole in his stomach. -Damn it.- he muttered, then he got up to use the toilet, grateful that the rooms of the Guardians had a private one each.  
Then, he put his ear to the door: no sound was coming from the day area. Viola had probably gone out, ready to be transferred as soon as possible, Skull said to himself, sliding beside the door. He decided to go out really quick, break into the kitchen, grab some supplies and then lock himself back again in his room before she had the time to be disturbed, if she was at home.  
He turned the key slowly, without making a sound, then he turned the knob and shoved the door open; he jumped in the middle of the corridor, he turned towards the kitchen and he froze.  
-I think I'm having a stroke.- Viola said. She was holding a trail with a glass of red wine and a plate of what smelled like coq au vin, Skull's favourite food.  
-What's that?  
-Your... your dinner. I thought that... yeah, I mean, you look like you want to be left alone.- Viola stopped and bit her lip, then she went on: -But, if you want to keep me company, I'll put down a plate for you too.- Skull stayed silent and still, looking at her for a while. She didn't speak.  
-Do you... want to dine with me?- Skull asked eventually, puzzled.  
-Well... if you want it too, yes.- Skull got closer, took the trail from her hands and he went to the kitchen where they used to eat, without saying a word. He put the plate and the glass on the table, then he turned around. Viola had followed him.  
-Do I disgust you? Tell the truth.  
-I'm disgusted by the fact that some people think that they can be justified if they hurt a child, Skull. I...  
-I don't want your pity.- Skull interrupted her, tears in his eyes, -I have no use for it, because I want to make love to you, I want to marry you, shit, even make a baby or two if that happens, but I don't want you to stay with me because you pity me.  
-Oh, what an idiot you are, Skull.- Viola replied, getting closer. She held out her trembling hands and this time she touched him; she put her hands on his shoulder, caressed them and grabbed them.  
-I knew there was something really bad in your past. I got it by the way you act. And I wish there was a way to come back and make it so that it never happens.- Skull looked away, and Viola held his chin with her fingertips to have him look at her again. She went on: -No one else could have lived through it and end up to be so cheerful. I understand now why you have been chosen to be one of the Arcobaleno. You're so strong, Skull.- she smiled into a sigh, -The immortal stuntman. Talk about pity, you idiot.

-Are you sure you don't want to stay for the night?- Lussuria asked. He and Basil had chatted for an hour or so, always on neutral tones; it had been nice.  
-Thank you, but I have already booked the hotel.- Basil replied, with another one of his shiny smiles.  
-How comes the Cedef goes this distance to bring Fran back to us?  
-Actually, Squalo had asked Dino, so Belphegor wouldn't suspect anything.- Basil explained, getting up to bring the glass to the sink. Lussuria took it from his hands and their fingers brushed; Basil didn't look annoyed and went on: -I was at the Cavallone's for a practical matter, when I told Dino I could take care of Fran myself. He almost built me a monument.  
-Well, he wanted to see us so bad, huh?- Basil giggled: -Nope, it's that it seems there have been some problems with Skull. I don't know exactly what, but he was a little bit busy.  
-I hope nothing bad.- Lussuria said, seriously.  
-It doesn't seem so, but you know Dino...  
-Yeah...- Lussuria smiled, then he walked Basil to the door. On the doorstep he hesitated, wondering if he could ask for his phone number, then he chickened out. He only said: -Well, it's been a nice chat.  
-For me as well!- Lussuria spontaneously replied to Basil's smile, he thought about thanking him for consoling him a few weeks before, but once again he chickened out: he would have hold him uselessly.  
-You're coming to Squalo's and Xanxus' wedding, are you?- he asked instead.  
-Of course. There will also be Lal, Colonnello and, unfortunately, Iemitsu.  
-Meet you there, then!- Basil nodded and held out his hand, which Lussuria shook. He watched him go away, hop on his car and he stood still until the rear lights disappeared behind the first turn. He would have loved to ask him his number, to ask him if he wanted to sit near him at the wedding, but once again his insecurity and his latest love wounds had stopped him.

Dino sat in the couch beside Hibari and said: -Everything's alright, in Capri.  
-Nh.- Hibari replied.  
-Do you regret having to leave Namimori?- Dino asked.  
-Of course. But I'm telling you, Dino, I'm not setting down in Palermo. And not here as well.  
-I know, Kyoya, you're a vagabond... you always were.- Hibari was silent for a long time.  
-I was afraid you would leave me because of this, sooner or later.- this time, it was Dino the one who had to stop and think before saying something; he let Hibari put his hand on his legs and he caressed him. Eventually, he said: -I've always pictured myself living side by side with my partner, sharing everything, twenty-four hours a day. But, growing up, I realized that my life is too tiring to have to share it constantly.  
-So it's alright to you if we don't live together everyday?- Hibari asked.  
-Kyoya... you're my oxygen from all this bullshit. I wouldn't trade you for anyone or anything else in the world.  
-Sloppy as always, Haneuma.- Hibari replied; but Dino didn't miss the tiny smile that had curved his lips.


End file.
